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The Determinants of China's International Portfolio Equity Allocations

Author

Listed:
  • Agarwal, Isha

    (University of British Columbia)

  • Gu, Grace Weishi

    (University of California, Santa Cruz)

  • Prasad, Eswar

    (Cornell University)

Abstract

We analyze shifts in the structure of China's capital outflows over the past decade. The composition of gross outflows has shifted from accumulation of foreign exchange reserves by the central bank to nonofficial outflows. Unlocking the enormous pool of domestic savings could have a significant impact on global financial markets as China continues to open up its capital account and as domestic investors look abroad for returns and diversification. We analyze in detail the allocation patterns of Chinese institutional investors (IIs), which constitute the main channel for foreign portfolio investment outflows. We find that, relative to benchmarks based on market capitalization, Chinese IIs underweight developed countries and high-tech sectors in their international portfolio allocations but overinvest in high-tech stocks in developed countries. To further examine Chinese IIs' joint decisions on destination country-sector pairs, we construct continuous measures of revealed relative comparative advantage and disadvantage in a sector for a country based on trade patterns. We find that, in their foreign portfolio allocations, Chinese IIs overweight sectors in which China has a comparative disadvantage. Moreover, Chinese IIs concentrate such investments in countries that have higher relative comparative advantage in those sectors. Diversification and information advantages related to foreign imports to China seem to influence patterns of foreign portfolio allocations, while yield-seeking and learning motives do not.

Suggested Citation

  • Agarwal, Isha & Gu, Grace Weishi & Prasad, Eswar, 2020. "The Determinants of China's International Portfolio Equity Allocations," IZA Discussion Papers 13001, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp13001
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    Cited by:

    1. Catherine Casanova & Mr. Eugenio M Cerutti & Swapan-Kumar Pradhan, 2024. "Chinese Banks and Their EMDE Borrowers: Have Their Relationships Changed in Times of Geoeconomic Fragmentation?," IMF Working Papers 2024/205, International Monetary Fund.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    institutional investors; portfolio flows; international investment position; capital account liberalization; revealed comparative (dis)advantage;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F2 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business
    • F3 - International Economics - - International Finance
    • F4 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance

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