The Determinants of Portfolio Capital Investment: Empirical Evidence from Malaysia

This book aims to identify the determinants of international portfolio capital investment flows into Malaysia during 1991 to 2002. Specifically, the determinants of portfolio capital flows are investigated by distinguishing the push (external)and pull (internal) factors. Push factors include economic conditions outside the host country such as world interest rate and growth rate, while pull factors include various economic and financial conditions of the host country. The effects of each determinant of portfolio capital investment (PCI) are examined by analyzing the time series data. The multi-regression analysis was conducted to identify the type of relationship between the dependent and independent variables. The findings show that both push and pull factors are significant in determining the portfolio capital investment flows into Malaysia. The results provide strong evidence that the world (U. S) real interest rate, Malaysian inflation rate (CPI) and the growth rate of the stock price index (KLSE CI) are significant in determining the portfolio capital flows to Malaysia.