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Should Africa promote stock market capitalism?

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  • Ajit Singh

    (Professor of Economics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK)

Abstract

This paper considers the pros and cons of establishing stock markets in sub-Saharan African economies at the present stage of their development. It provides theoretical analysis and empirical evidence from both developing and advanced countries to argue that for many African countries such a development would be a costly irrelevance which they can ill afford; for a number of others, it is likely to do more harm than good. The African countries would do better to use their scarce human, material, and institutional resources to improve their banking systems than to promote stock markets. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Suggested Citation

  • Ajit Singh, 1999. "Should Africa promote stock market capitalism?," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 11(3), pages 343-365.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:jintdv:v:11:y:1999:i:3:p:343-365
    DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1099-1328(199905/06)11:3<343::AID-JID593>3.0.CO;2-Q
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ajit Singh, 1998. "Savings, investment and the corporation in the East Asian miracle," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(6), pages 112-137.
    2. Cho, Yoon Je, 1986. "Inefficiencies from Financial Liberalization in the Absence of Well-Functioning Equity Markets," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 18(2), pages 191-199, May.
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    4. Arestis, Philip & Demetriades, Panicos O, 1997. "Financial Development and Economic Growth: Assessing the Evidence," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 107(442), pages 783-799, May.
    5. Singh, A., 1990. "The institution of a stockmarket in a socialist economy: Notes on the Chinese economic reform program," MPRA Paper 24324, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Camerer, Colin, 1989. "Bubbles and Fads in Asset Prices," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 3(1), pages 3-41.
    7. Bikhchandani, Sushil & Hirshleifer, David & Welch, Ivo, 1992. "A Theory of Fads, Fashion, Custom, and Cultural Change in Informational Cascades," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 100(5), pages 992-1026, October.
    8. Singh, Ajit & Weisse, Bruce A., 1998. "Emerging stock markets, portfolio capital flows and long-term economie growth: Micro and macroeconomic perspectives," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 26(4), pages 607-622, April.
    9. Harris, Richard D. F., 1997. "Stock markets and development: A re-assessment," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 139-146, January.
    10. Martin BROWNBRIDGE, 1998. "The Causes Of Financial Distress In Local Banks In Africa And Implications For Prudential Policy," UNCTAD Discussion Papers 132, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
    11. Singh, A., 1997. "Liberalisation, the Stock Market and the Market for Corporate Control: A Bridge Too Far for the Indian Economy?," Accounting and Finance Discussion Papers 97-af35, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    12. Allen, Franklin & Gale, Douglas, 1995. "A welfare comparison of intermediaries and financial markets in Germany and the US," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 39(2), pages 179-209, February.
    13. Cho, Yoon Je, 1989. "Finance and Development: The Korean Approach," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 5(4), pages 88-102, Winter.
    14. Singh, Ajit, 1994. "Corporate financial patterns in industrialising economies: a comparative international study," MPRA Paper 54936, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Abhijit V. Banerjee, 1992. "A Simple Model of Herd Behavior," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 107(3), pages 797-817.
    16. Stiglitz, Joseph E, 1985. "Credit Markets and the Control of Capital," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 17(2), pages 133-152, May.
    17. Mohamed A. El-Erian & Manmohan S. Kumar, 1995. "Emerging Equity Markets in Middle Eastern Countries," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 42(2), pages 313-343, June.
    18. Singh, A., 1991. "Corporate Takeovers: A Review," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 9206, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    19. Pagano, Marco, 1993. "Financial markets and growth: An overview," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 37(2-3), pages 613-622, April.
    20. Ajit Singh, 1998. "Financial liberalisation, stockmarkets and economic development," Nova Economia, Economics Department, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (Brazil), vol. 8(1), pages 165-182.
    21. Stiglitz, Joseph E & Weiss, Andrew, 1981. "Credit Rationing in Markets with Imperfect Information," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 71(3), pages 393-410, June.
    22. Corbett, Jennifer & Jenkinson, Tim, 1994. "The Financing of Industry, 1970-89: An International Comparison," CEPR Discussion Papers 948, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    23. Jean Tirole, 1991. "Privatization in Eastern Europe: Incentives and the Economics of Transition," NBER Chapters, in: NBER Macroeconomics Annual 1991, Volume 6, pages 221-268, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    24. Mayer, Colin, 1989. "Myths of the West : lessons from developed countries for development finance," Policy Research Working Paper Series 301, The World Bank.
    25. Fernandez-Arias, Eduardo & Montiel, Peter J, 1996. "The Surge in Capital Inflows to Developing Countries: An Analytical Overview," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 10(1), pages 51-77, January.
    26. Mayer,Colin & Vives,Xavier (ed.), 1993. "Capital Markets and Financial Intermediation," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521443975.
    27. Singh, A. & Hamid, J., 1992. "Corporate Financial Structure in Developing Countries," Papers 1, World Bank - International Finance Corporation.
    28. Singh, Ajit, 1998. "Financial crisis in East Asia: "The end of the Asian model"?," MPRA Paper 53539, University Library of Munich, Germany.
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F0 - International Economics - - General
    • G1 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets
    • G2 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services

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