Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/291658 [Downloaded 2024/11/20 at 14:47:04 ] "The Semiotic Infrastructure of Financial Markets. A Sociological Inquiry into Valuation Practices" Duterme, Tom ABSTRACT This thesis sheds light on the valuation practices of financial market participants in three stages. First, a socio-historical approach outlines the conditions in which market participants operate today. The scope of buying and selling decisions has been amplified by the computerization of markets. These decisions are also increasingly taken on by a particular type of actor, due to the “asset management revolution”. Secondly, the valuation practices of market participants are clarified through an analysis of the main valuation supports used: the Bloomberg Terminal, stock market indices, central bank announcements and oil benchmarks. The influence of these supports was sometimes recognized, but the context of their emergence and the modalities of this influence remained poorly identified. Thirdly, we draw out some of the implications of the power of these valuation tools for the functioning of financial markets. Produced by a handful of financial information companies, the conventions studied give these companies a quasi- regulatory role in the markets. This other facet of financial regulation, less visible than legislation, cannot be ignored in reform proposals aimed at making markets more stable or sustainable. CITE THIS VERSION Duterme, Tom. The Semiotic Infrastructure of Financial Markets. A Sociological Inquiry into Valuation Practices (Presses universitaires de Louvain /. Presses universitaires de Louvain : Louvain-la-Neuve (2024) (ISBN:9782390614982) 470 pages http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/291658 Le dépôt institutionnel DIAL est destiné au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques émanant des membres de l'UCLouvain. Toute utilisation de ce document à des fins lucratives ou commerciales est strictement interdite. L'utilisateur s'engage à respecter les droits d'auteur liés à ce document, principalement le droit à l'intégrité de l'oeuvre et le droit à la paternité. La politique complète de copyright est disponible sur la page Copyright policy DIAL is an institutional repository for the deposit and dissemination of scientific documents from UCLouvain members. Usage of this document for profit or commercial purposes is stricly prohibited. User agrees to respect copyright about this document, mainly text integrity and source mention. Full content of copyright policy is available at Copyright policy