The stock market bubble of 1929: evidence from clsoed-end mutual funds

B-Tier
Journal: Journal of Economic History
Year: 1991
Volume: 51
Issue: 3
Pages: 675-700

Authors (2)

De Long, J. Bradford (not in RePEc) Shleifer, Andrei (Harvard University)

Score contribution per author:

1.005 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Economists directly observe warranted “fundamental” values in only a few cases. One is that of closed-end mutual funds: their fundamental value is simply the current market value of the securities that make up their portfolios. We use the difference between prices and net asset values of closed-end mutual funds at the end of the 1920s to estimate the degree to which the stock market was overvalued on the eve of the 1929 crash. We conclude that the stocks making up the S & P composite were priced at least 30 percent above fundamentals in late summer, 1929.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:cup:jechis:v:51:y:1991:i:03:p:675-700_03
Journal Field
Economic History
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-29