SPECULATIVE ACTIVITIES IN THE FINANCIAL MARKETS AND ITS RELATION TO THE REAL ECONOMY

Nowadays, financial markets are criticized for a high proportion of speculative activities and an unsustainable game of risk. The function of speculation as a stimulus for activities in financial markets has changed radically during last decades. At present, speculation has nevermore served the real economy as a mean for more efficient market functioning. The real economy has become a victim of uncontrolled and unsustainable increase of speculative activities. The main problem of speculation concept is a leverage principle that causes layering risk and creating in the world economy systematic risk that the market is not able to bear. The specific examples are the events of the past decade, especially the global financial and economic crisis. The main aim of contribution is to discuss the questionable relation between speculative activities in the financial markets and the real economy.