Growth effects of FDI and portfolio investment flows to developing countries: a disaggregated analysis by income levels

What is the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) and portfolio investment flows on the economic growth of low-, lower middle- and upper middle-income countries? In this article we address this question using a dynamic panel model and a large data set of 126 developing countries for the period 1985 to 2002. Employing the system-generalized methods of moments (GMM) estimation approach, our findings suggest that only developing countries that have reached a minimum level of economic development and absorptive capacity are capturing the growth-enhancing effects of both forms of investment inflows.