Effect of increased uncertainty on financial asset holding

  • Authors

    • Albert Frimpong Department of Economics, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi
    2014-06-17
    https://doi.org/10.14419/ijaes.v2i2.2873
  • Abstract

    Much is known from theoretical and empirical literature about the relationship between firms’ investment decisions and increased uncertainty; thus, firms have preference for liquid assets to capital formation under uncertainty because investment in capital formation is not easily reversible. So, whether uncertainty has effect on financial investment is a moot point to consider. This paper investigates the relationship between financial information and financial asset holding. A model is formulated and empirical evidence provided to throw more light on the relationship. The paper finds that financial information reduces uncertainty regarding investment in financial assets. The paper recommends to financial investors to gather information regarding the investment to minimise the risks associated with losing value for the money invested and also to avoid investment mistakes. Also, the paper finds that financial investors, adopt “wait and see” approach and delay investment with increased uncertainty. Stakeholders should put measures in place to prevent (negative) rumors regarding financial institutions because it cripples financial investment as prospective investors would decrease their investment and wait in order to increase their information about the true state of the market before they make investment. Also, policy makers should ensure macroeconomic stability and safe political environment for the operation of the financial market.

    Keywords: Financial Assets, Uncertainty, Financial Information, Investment, Interest Rate, Financial Investor.

  • References

    1. Atanasov, V. and Merrick, J. J. (2010). Determinants of Marshallian demand for financial Assets: Evidence from new issues of Federal Home Loan Bank Debt. http://www.fma.org/Hamburg/Papers/MerrickFHLBDiscountNotesElasticityFMA.pdf
    2. Baum, F. C., Caglayan, M., Talavera, O. (2007). Uncertainty determinants of firm investment. JEL: E22, D81, C23.
    3. Cardak, B. A. and Wilkins, R. (2009). The determinants of household risky asset holdings: Australian evidence on background risk and other factors. Journal of Banking and Finance.
    4. Cukierman, A. (1980). The Effects of Uncertainty on Investment under Risk Neutrality with Endogenous Information. Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 88, No. 3, pp. 462-475.
    5. Friedman, M. A. (1957). Theory of the Consumption Function. Princeton, NJ, Princeton University Press.
    6. Fuss, C. and Vermeulen, P. (2004). Firms’ investment decisions in response to demand and price uncertainty. European Central Bank; Working Paper, No. 347.
    7. Hastings, J. S., Tejeda-Ashton, L. Financial literacy, information, and demand elasticity: survey and experimental evidence from Mexico. National Bureau of Economic Research; Working Paper 14538.
    8. Hayes, M. G. (2003). Investment and finance under fundamental uncertainty. A PhD thesis; University of Sunderland.
    9. Huang, J. and Wang, J. (2009). Liquidity and Market Crashes. Review of Financial Studies, 22, 2607-2643.
    10. Huang, J. and Wang, J. (2010). Market Liquidity, Asset Prices and Welfare. Journal of Financial Economics, 95, 107-127.
    11. Jones, C. (2008). Financial Economics. Routledge Publishers; 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN.
    12. Keynes, J. M. (1936). The General Theory of Employment Interest and Money, Vol VII of Collected Writings of John Maynard Keynes, 1973, London, Macmillan.
    13. Lo, A., Mamaysky, H. and Wang, J. (2004). Asset Prices and Trading Volume under Fixed Transactions Costs. Journal of Political Economy, 112, 1054-1090.
    14. McKinnon, R. (1973). Money and capital in economic development. Washington DC, Brookings Institution.
    15. McKnight, A. (2011). Estimates of the asset-effect: the search for a causal effect of assets on adult health and employment outcomes. Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, London School of Economics.
    16. Mele, A. (2014). Lectures on Financial Economics. Centre for Economic Policy Research.
    17. Mensah, S. (2005). Challenges and opportunities facing the financial services industry in a stable macroeconomic environment, Keynote speech delivered at the 8th National Banking Conference of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (Ghana).
    18. Modigliani, F. and Brumberg, R. (1954). Utility Analysis and the Consumption Function: An Interpretation of Cross-Section Data. Post-Keynesian Economics.
    19. Myers, S. C. and Majluf, N. S. (1984). Corporate financing and investment decisions when firms have information those investors do not have. Journal of Financial Economics, Vol. 13, 187-221.
    20. Norman, A. S. K. (2012). The usefulness of financial information in capital markets investment decision making in Tanzania: a case of Iringa region. International Journal of Marketing and Technology, Vol 2, issue 8, ISSN 2249-1058.
    21. Paxton, W. (2001). The asset-effect: an overview. Institute for Public Policy Research
    22. Rudebusch, G. D. (2010). Macro-finance models of interest rates and the economy. Working paper; Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco; Working Paper.
    23. Shaw, E. S. (1973). Financial deepening in economic development. New York: Oxford University Press.
    24. Ucan, O. And Ozturk, O. (2011). Financial determinants of investment for Turkey. Journal of Economic and Social Studies.
  • Downloads

  • How to Cite

    Frimpong, A. (2014). Effect of increased uncertainty on financial asset holding. International Journal of Accounting and Economics Studies, 2(2), 55-59. https://doi.org/10.14419/ijaes.v2i2.2873

    Received date: 2014-05-20

    Accepted date: 2014-06-14

    Published date: 2014-06-17