This paper compares the extent of common ownership in the US and the EU stock markets, with a particular focus on differences in the applicable ownership transparency requirements. Most empirical research on common ownership to date has focused on US issuers, largely relying on ownership data...

In this Article, we examine the content and compliance of mutual fund summary prospectuses. Fund disclosures are subject to `plain English' requirements promising to make disclosures accessible to ordinary investors and level the investment playing field. Despite recent SEC regulations intending...

The objective of this paper is to present and discuss the new French requirements related to socially responsible investment (SRI), and provide reflections on the potential and limits of regulating SRI. We summarize the consequences of new Monetary and Financial Code Article L. 533-22-1 and the...

Sovereign wealth funds (SWFs), with $8 trillion in assets, are government-owned institutional investors pursuing political and financial investment objectives. I document evidence supporting the hypothesis that simultaneous pursuit of political and financial investment objectives renders SWFs...

This paper argues that the key mechanisms protecting retail investors' financial stake in their portfolio investments are indirect. They do not rely on actions by the investors or by any private actor directly charged with looking after investors' interests. Rather, they are provided by the...

The underlying theme of this Article is that the Big Three investment advisers to index funds (BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street) need to be understood as agents of those who invest in the mutual funds and exchange traded funds they manage. They are not institutional investors, the role...

Scholars have roundly criticized disclosure as a regulatory regime over the past decade for good reason. Disclosures—whether describing the terms of a loan or the risks of investing—purport to inform consumers. But who actually reads disclosures? We argue that mutual fund disclosures are...

The fast growing EU market for investment funds is still characterised by a continuing relevance of national borders. This papers assesses this market?s degree of integration, the potential benefits from more integration and the obstacles to cross-border sales of funds. The analysis shows that...

Kathryn Judge of Columbia University documents how financial intermediaries persistently impose high fees compared to the value rendered, attributes this to political influence, and suggests countervailing policy strategies, including stoking competition and enhancing disclosure to reduce...