Half a Loaf is better than none: A Qualitative Study of Investors in a Developing Country

Abstract

The study is conducted to explore the available investment avenues when the market is highly volatile, the interest rate is high, and contractionary monetary policy is in place by the central bank. A phenomenological research design was used to conduct the study. Data were collected from ten finance professionals who were full time investors with more than five years of experience. Data was collected through structured interviews, and thematic analysis was applied for data analysis. The validity of the data was checked through member checking and reviewed by an expert in the field of investment and economic policy. The themes reported that the safest investment avenue available at present is fixed deposits, but there is a hurdle of strict tax laws. Investors are not clear about the future direction of the present Government. Small scale private investors, students, and researchers studying Government policies may be benefited from the findings of this research to formulate their investment strategies. This study helps the potential investor to better invest in the most suitable avenues available when the market is highly uncertain and the policies of the Government are rigid. The study fills the gap as there is a lack of research in Pakistan in this context.