Hudson, Sarah J. (2001) Attitudes to investment risk amongst West Midland canal and railway company investors, 1760-1850. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

Attitudes to environmental and investment risk are examined to determine
whether they were a defining characteristic of middle-class behaviour in the period 1760
to 1850. Approximately 6,000 investors in eleven canal companies and seven railway
companies were investigated to determine whether evaluation and mitigation of
investment risk is determined by socio-economic background and gender. Investment
risk was defined as inadequate access to, and imperfect interpretation of, information.
The effectiveness of information transfer through public and private spheres was
examined and the effect of differential access to these information conduits, as a
consequence of gender or socio-economic background, was investigated. Investors'
response to the risk environment of early death, war and unpredictable economic cycles
was examined. Each canal company and the group of railway companies was ranked
according to the level of investment risk during both the construction and operating
period, using a mix of quantitative and qualitative tests. The risk preferences of
'economic' and 'financial' investors were compared. The strategies used by each group
of investor to mitigate risk were examined.
The study provides new evidence of the effective transmission of national
market sentiment by the 1770s, but reveals that the physical market in canal company
shares remained local and continued its separate existence long after the
institutionalised national market for railway shares was established. Perceptible
differences in the risk assessment and risk mitigation strategies of different groups of
investors were observed. This was attributed to differential access to information, which
in turn was attributed to gender and social, political and religious affiliation. The study
provides evidence that although differences in behaviour were observed amongst
groups within the sample population, it shared common investment strategies and that
attitudes to risk and risk mitigation should be considered as valid criteria for class
differentiation.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HG Finance
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Investments -- Great Britain -- History -- 18th century, Investments -- Great Britain -- History -- 19th century, Financial risk -- Great Britain -- History -- 18th century, Financial risk -- Great Britain -- History -- 19th century, Railroad companies -- Great Britain -- History -- 18th century, Railroad companies -- Great Britain -- History -- 19th century
Official Date:	October 2001
Dates:	Date Event October 2001 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Department of History
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Extent:	[xiii], 296 leaves
Language:	eng

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