THE INFLUENCE OF SELECT FACTORS ON THE ACTIVITY OF INVESTORS ON THE WARSAW STOCK EXCHANGE

The article examines the influence of select factors on the attractiveness of a stock market and investor activity. The analysis covers the following factors: the number of new listings, the overall number of listed companies, market capitalization, the capitalization-to-GDP ratio, risk and rate of return. The author analyzes the linear relationship among individual factors, using the Pearson Correlation Coefficient. A Coefficient of Determination is also applied to establish how changes in one factor affect other factors. The analysis of the linear relationship reveals that factors influencing the qualitative and quantitative development of the exchange are more strongly correlated with the volume of trading done by individual groups of investors than factors influencing the profitability of investment. There is a strong interdependence - confirmed by a high Coefficient of Determination - between the capitalization-to-GDP ratio (which illustrates the role of the stock exchange in the economy) and the volume of trading done by stock investors. Similarly, there is a strong interdependence between market capitalization and the volume of trading done by these investors. Finally, there is a close relationship between the number of new listings and the volume of trading done by individual, institutional and foreign investors. This shows that the popularity of the WSE among investors may substantially increase with an increased range of investment opportunities offered by the market - expressed by the number and value of listed instruments. It seems that new listings, especially those involving large companies that hold major shares in their respective markets, play a major role on the WSE.