Information Immobility and the Home Bias Puzzle

A-Tier
Journal: Journal of Finance
Year: 2009
Volume: 64
Issue: 3
Pages: 1187-1215

Score contribution per author:

2.011 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

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

Abstract

Many argue that home bias arises because home investors can predict home asset payoffs more accurately than foreigners can. But why does global information access not eliminate this asymmetry? We model investors, endowed with a small home information advantage, who choose what information to learn before they invest. Surprisingly, even when home investors can learn what foreigners know, they choose not to: Investors profit more from knowing information others do not know. Learning amplifies information asymmetry. The model matches patterns of local and industry bias, foreign investments, portfolio outperformance, and asset prices. Finally, we propose new avenues for empirical research.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:bla:jfinan:v:64:y:2009:i:3:p:1187-1215
Journal Field
Finance
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-29