Article

Imperfect Financial Markets and Investment Inefficiencies

Elias Albagli, Christian Hellwig, and Aleh Tsyvinski

Abstract

We analyze the consequences of noisy information aggregation for investment. Market imperfections create endogenous rents that cause overinvestment in upside risks and underinvestment in downside risks. In partial equilibrium, these inefficiencies are particularly severe if upside risks are coupled with easy scalability of investment. In general equilibrium, the shareholders' collective attempts to boost value of individual firms leads to a novel externality operating through price that amplifies investment distortions with downside risks but offsets distortions with upside risks.

Replaces

Elias Albagli, Christian Hellwig, and Aleh Tsyvinski, Imperfect Financial Markets and Investment Inefficiencies, TSE Working Paper, n. 18-891, February 2018, revised February 2023.

Reference

Elias Albagli, Christian Hellwig, and Aleh Tsyvinski, Imperfect Financial Markets and Investment Inefficiencies, American Economic Review, vol. 113, n. 9, September 2023, pp. 2323–2354.

Published in

American Economic Review, vol. 113, n. 9, September 2023, pp. 2323–2354