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Stockholding: Recent Lessons from Theory and Computations

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  • Michael Haliassos

Abstract

Household-level portfolio data show a tendency of the majority of households in each country to hold no stocks despite a historical expected-return premium on equity relative to riskless assets. This paper first explains why such a tendency constitutes a puzzle in economic theory (the "stockholding puzzle"). It discusses why simple popular notions regarding the source of non-participation (risk aversion, risky labor income, and borrowing constraints) are not confirmed by careful analysis of portfolio models and presents recent conclusions on what causes non-participation. Based on this, it revisits the popular view on non-participation and shows how it can be qualified to be consistent with lessons from economic theory. It also explains how this view can be extended to account for exits from the stock market and for limited diversification. Then, the paper describes three unsolved empirical puzzles concerning the share of stocks in portfolios of households that do participate in the stock market. It points to basic underlying mechanisms producing these theoretical results and discusses briefly possible future directions for research that may help resolve the puzzles. Finally, the paper draws lessons for practitioners interested in expanding the stockholder base.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Haliassos, 2002. "Stockholding: Recent Lessons from Theory and Computations," University of Cyprus Working Papers in Economics 0206, University of Cyprus Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucy:cypeua:0206
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    Cited by:

    1. Yannis Bilias & Michael Haliassos, 2004. "The Distribution of Gains from Access to Stocks," CSEF Working Papers 125, Centre for Studies in Economics and Finance (CSEF), University of Naples, Italy.
    2. Raman Uppal & Harjoat Bhamra, 2016. "Do Individual Behavioral Biases Affect Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy?," 2016 Meeting Papers 1358, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    3. Christelis, Dimitris & Georgarakos, Dimitris & Sanz-de-Galdeano, Anna, 2020. "The impact of health insurance on stockholding: A regression discontinuity approach," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    4. Luc Arrondel & André Masson & Daniel Verger, 2004. "Mesurer les préférences individuelles à l'égard du risque," Économie et Statistique, Programme National Persée, vol. 374(1), pages 53-85.
    5. Binswanger, Johannes, 2012. "Life cycle saving: Insights from the perspective of bounded rationality," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(3), pages 605-623.
    6. Harjoat S. Bhamra & Raman Uppal, 2019. "Does Household Finance Matter? Small Financial Errors with Large Social Costs," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 109(3), pages 1116-1154, March.
    7. Luc Arrondel, 2020. "Financial literacy and French behaviour on the stock market," Working Papers halshs-02505320, HAL.
    8. Buss, Adrian & Vilkov, Grigory & Uppal, Raman, 2018. "The Implications of Financial Innovation for Capital Markets and Household Welfare," CEPR Discussion Papers 13137, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    9. repec:dau:papers:123456789/8576 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Luc Arrondel & Jérôme Coffinet, 2018. "Demand For Stocks in the Crisis: France 2004-2014," PSE Working Papers halshs-01785324, HAL.
    11. Johannes Binswanger, 2005. "Risk Management of Pension Systems from the Perspective of Loss Aversion," CESifo Working Paper Series 1572, CESifo.
    12. David Aristei & Silvia Bacci & Francesco Bartolucci & Silvia Pandolfi, 2021. "A bivariate finite mixture growth model with selection," Advances in Data Analysis and Classification, Springer;German Classification Society - Gesellschaft für Klassifikation (GfKl);Japanese Classification Society (JCS);Classification and Data Analysis Group of the Italian Statistical Society (CLADAG);International Federation of Classification Societies (IFCS), vol. 15(3), pages 759-793, September.
    13. Luc Arrondel, 2018. "Financial Literacy and Asset Behaviour: Poor Education and Zero for Conduct?," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 60(1), pages 144-160, March.
    14. Binswanger, Johannes & Salm, Martin, 2017. "Does everyone use probabilities? The role of cognitive skills," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 73-85.
    15. Arrondel, L. & Savignac, F., 2009. "Stockholding: Does housing wealth matter?," Working papers 266, Banque de France.
    16. Attilio Gardini & Alessandro Magi, 2007. "Stock Market Participation: New Empirical Evidence from Italian Households'Behavior," Giornale degli Economisti, GDE (Giornale degli Economisti e Annali di Economia), Bocconi University, vol. 66(1), pages 93-114, March.

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