Ideas Client Service Careers About Us
Sitemap Contact
Home  > Research Topics   > Capital markets
Capital Markets
Understanding how the global capital market is evolving is essential for businesses, financial institutions, policy makers, and investors. Our proprietary capital markets database allows us to map the global financial stock and analyze capital flows as well as financial systems at a country level.

Featured Publications
The new power brokers: Gaining clout in turbulent markets
Four new power brokers—Asian sovereign investors, petrodollars, hedge funds, and private equity firms—have grown in size and clout during the financial crisis that began in mid–2007. The crisis underscored one of the biggest benefits offered by the power brokers: vast pools of liquidity. Yet risks remain.
Read more
Launch video
Listen to and download the Q&A interview
Mapping global capital markets: Fourth annual report Mapping global capital Markets: Fourth annual report
MGI's analysis highlights trends in the global financial markets across countries, regions, and asset classes. It finds assets reached $167 trillion in 2006, while capital flows climbed to a record $8.2 trillion.
Read more
Highlights
Investing the Gulf's oil profits windfall
Between 2007 and 2020, the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council will earn $5 trillion to $9 trillion from exports of crude oil. Depending on oil prices and levels of domestic investment, 30 to 60 percent of this windfall could flow into overseas capital markets.
Read more on the McKinsey Quarterly site
The coming oil windfall in the Gulf
At an oil price of $70 a barrel, the six nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council would earn a cumulative $6.2 trillion by 2020, or more than triple the amount they earned from 1993 through 2006. Decisions by Gulf leaders on how to use this wealth will have global repercussions for decades.
Review Summary
Mapping the global capital markets third annual report
MGI's third analysis highlights trends in the global financial markets across countries, regions, and asset classes. It finds assets reached $140 trillion in 2005 and, for the first time, provides a detailed look at cross-border capital flows.
Read more
The world's new financial power brokers
A shift is under way in the world's financial structure thanks to the growing importance of oil investors, Asian central banks, hedge funds, and private equity. A chart-driven article examines the rise of these new power brokers.
Read more on the McKinsey Quarterly site
The new power brokers: How oil, Asia, hedge funds, and private equity are shaping global capital markets
Even under conservative scenarios, the assets of the new power brokers—petrodollars, Asian central banks, hedge funds, and private equity—will nearly double to $15.2 trillion in 2012.
Read more
The U.S. imbalancing act: Can the current account deficit continue?
The U.S. current account deficit could continue to grow over the next five years. However, to reverse the deficit by 2012, a massive dollar depreciation would be required.
Read More
What businesses need to know about the U.S. current account deficit
The U.S. "im-balancing" act could continue for some time, but any correction would have surprising consequences. Governments and businesses should prepare for them.
Read more on the McKinsey Quarterly site
Fulfilling the potential of Latin America's financial systems
Although the region's financial depth is low, Latin America could be on the verge of a breakthrough if policy makers continue reducing public debt and reforming the financial and legal systems.
Read more
Putting China's capital to work: The value of financial system reform
A more integrated approach to reforms could reduce the inefficiencies in China's financial system and bring about big gains for the economy.
Read more
Accelerating India's growth through financial system reform
Addressing the inefficiencies in India's financial system could free up $48 billion of capital a year and raise the country's real GDP growth to 9.4 percent a year.
Read more
China and India's financial systems: A barrier to growth
This article looks at the need to reduce government interference in the financial systems of India and China and strengthen market orientation in order to evolve these systems.
Read more on the McKinsey Quarterly site
A tale of two financial systems: A comparison of China and India
China's problem is that capital costs zero. India's problem is zero capital.
Read more
Mapping the global capital market second annual report
MGI's updated analysis highlights trends in the global financial stock across countries, regions, and asset classes and shows that it continues to grow apace totaling more than $136 trillion and set to exceed $228 trillion by 2010. Much of this growth is driven by debt.
Read more
The coming demographic deficit: How aging populations will reduce global savings
Over the next two decades, absent dramatic changes in saving behavior or returns earned on financial assets, growth in household financial wealth will slow by more than two-thirds. Today’s choices will ultimately determine how the world economy adjusts to an older population.
Read more
$118 trillion and counting: Taking stock of the world's capital markets
An analysis of the financial assets of more than 100 countries reveals that the global capital market continues to grow, integrate, and become more liquid as the roles countries and regions play within it are changing.
Read more
Reforming India's financial system
To finance economic growth, India's financial system must mobilize savings more effectively—a goal that calls for reducing the government's fiscal deficit, which crowds out private investment, and for reforming banks and capital markets.
Read more
India's lagging financial system
The country must develop its financial system in order to keep pace with China.
Read more on the McKinsey Quarterly site
The economic impact of an aging Europe
The aging of European populations will threaten living standards and prosperity.
Read more on the McKinsey Quarterly site
The economic impact of an aging Japan
The rapid aging of the Japanese population will dramatically reduce savings and wealth—and cut off an important supply of capital to the world.
Read more on the McKinsey Quarterly site
Mapping the global capital markets
Out of many, one.
Read more on the McKinsey Quarterly site
Capital productivity
Significant differences in capital productivity exist across nations. This report suggests that U.S. capital productivity exceeds Germany's and Japan's because managers in the U.S. have greater incentives and face stronger market pressures.
Read more
The global capital market: Supply, demand, pricing, and allocation
This report suggests that a global capital market is forming, one that moves capital efficiently across national borders to meet demand in other parts of the world. Our research indicates potential for a "coincidence of needs" between developed and developing economies that can promote prosperity for both.
Read more
PrintE-mail a Colleague
Explore our publications by:





The New Power Brokers: Video Q&A
In a video interview, MGI's director Diana Farrell answers questions about the "new power brokers"
Launch video
Listen to and download the Q&A interview
McKinsey conversation
Listen to a moderated conversation between MGI's Diana Farrell and Kito de Boer, a director in McKinsey's Dubai office, as they discuss the implications of the coming oil windfall in the Gulf for global capital markets.
Listen to the podcast
Slideshow
An on-line slide show gives an overview of the size, impact, and growth of the new power brokers.
Read more
Interactive exhibit
Overview of long-term trends in global capital markets based on MGI's proprietary databases.
View interactive graphic overview
Interactive exhibit
Explore the findings of MGI's research on China's financial system, how the system's performance stacks up, and the value of further reform.
Read more
Explore MGI multimedia
Gain MGI insights through interactive graphics, podcasts, and other media.
Read more
Get and manage periodic research update e-newsletter and alerts.
Read more

Get RSS feed and Podcasts.

Free, onetime registration is required to download MGI publications.
Register now
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy   © Copyright 1996-2008 McKinsey & Company