Do Capital Inflows Matter to Asset Prices? The Case of Korea*

In the present paper, we investigate whether capital flows induce domestic asset price hikes in the case of Korea. This issue is relevant for crisis‐hit economies trying to prevent a boom–bust cycle as well as in the formulation of macroeconomic policy objectives in emerging market economies. Korea has recently experienced large capital inflows, in particular a surge in portfolio inflows. Furthermore, asset prices, including stock prices, land prices and nominal and real exchange rates, have also appreciated. The empirical results, obtained using a vector autoregression model, suggest that capital inflow shocks have caused stock prices but not land prices to increase. The effects on the nominal and real exchange rates have been limited, which relates to the accumulation of foreign exchange reserves.     

An Empirical Analysis on Capital Flows: The Case of Korea and Mexico

This paper discusses causes of capital flows in Korea and Mexico. Both countries received substantial amounts of foreign capital in the late 1980s and early 1990s. International capital helped these countries achieve a higher standard of living and faster economic growth. However, undesirable macroeconomic effects such as appreciation of real exchange rate and widening current account deficits usually accompany foreign capital inflows. The vector autoregressive (VAR) method is applied to investigate the underlying shocks causing the capital inflows. The main findings are that the U.S. business cycle and shocks to foreign interest rates account for more than 50% of capital inflows to both countries in the past two decades.     

投资者情绪、会计应计与超额回报——基于中国上市公司的实证分析

以我国上市公司1999至2007年的数据为样本,从行为金融学中投资者情绪的角度,深刻剖析投资者情绪对基于会计应计投资策略获得超额回报的影响。研究发现:1、持有会计应计比例低公司的股票,在投资者情绪低迷时期获得的超额回报会大于投资者情绪高昂时期;同样的,持有会计应计比例高公司的股票,在投资者情绪高昂时期产生的投资亏损要大于投资者情绪低迷时期;2、机构投资者持股比例小的公司的股价,更容易受投资者情绪的影响,因而,基于会计应计策略的超额回报在不同情绪下的差异要大于机构持股比例大的公司。本文试图从投资者情绪的角度,分析其对"应计异象"的影响,并且进一步证明,机构持股大小会干扰其影响的程度。     

The effect of North Korean threats on financial markets in South Korea and Japan

This paper examines the effects of North Korean threats, as measured by the proprietary North Korean Threat Index (NKTI), on financial markets in South Korea and Japan. We examine the effects of the threats on stock markets, foreign exchange markets, and overnight interest rates. We consider causality in mean and variance tests to determine any link between the NKTI and financial variables. The causality-in-mean test results indicate the presence of a causal link running from North Korean threats to stock returns and exchange rate returns in both countries, but no significant link to the overnight interest rate in either country. The causality-in-variance test results indicate no significant impact emanating from North Korean threats. Integrating the North Korean economy into the global economy stands to eliminate these threats and thus to contribute to regional financial stability.     

Do exchange rate arrangements and capital controls influence international capital flows and housing prices in Asia?

This paper investigates the influence of international capital flows on housing prices in eight Asian countries, including China. We focus on determining whether exchange rate arrangements and capital regulations influence capital inflows and housing prices. Our results show that an arrangement to restrain the fluctuation of the exchange rate and capital controls has the potential to raise housing prices in Asia. The strong prospect of the Chinese yuan's appreciation also pushed up housing prices in China. Another expected reason for the increase in capital inflows into Asian markets is the expansion of global liquidity. Such capital flows often have a sensitive reaction to market sentiment, and an increase in asset market volatility caused by the liquidity squeeze decreases Asian housing prices. These results suggest the need to review capital controls and future exchange rate system options for Asian countries.     

外汇储备对股票市场价格的影响——基于流动性视角的分析

文章选取2005年5月到2011年6月的月度数据,运用VEC模型对外汇储备对股票市场价格的影响进行了实证分析。结果显示,外汇储备是通过宏观层面的流动性对股市产生影响,外汇储备和货币供应量对股票市场价格的影响均比较小,主要原因是其传导机制比较复杂,且我国对信贷资金流入股市采取十分严厉的限制。相应地,文章提出了加强对流入股市热钱的监管;加强非流通股股东解禁的管理;深化一级市场改革发行制度,积极发展债券、期货等资本市场;完善宏观调控手段以及坚持严格信贷资金流入股市等政策建议。     

Characteristics and performance of institutional and foreign investors in Japanese and Korean stock markets

This study examines the characteristics of the stock ownership by institutional and foreign investors, as well as their effects on stock price performance in Japan and Korea. The main results of this study are summarized as follows. First, foreign investors have a clearer preference for stocks with large capitalization and low book-to-market ratios than do institutional investors in both Japanese and Korean stock markets. Second, foreign investors prefer stocks with a high return on equity, especially in Korea. Third, average returns have more apparent differentiation among institutional (foreign) ownership portfolios than among foreign (institutional) ownership portfolios in Japan (Korea). Fourth, the stocks that are preferred simultaneously by both institutional and foreign investors show statistically significant positive abnormal returns in both Korea and Japan, whereas those preferred by either institutional or foreign investors show statistically significant positive abnormal returns only in Korea. The institutional investors' incentive for stock holding, the extent of stock market efficiency, and stock price polarization could be the possible explanations for the different empirical results observed for Japan and Korea. J. Japanese Int. Economies 21 (2) (2007) 195–213.     

跨境资本流动对银行风险的影响--基于风险累积效应和风险传染效应的视角

从风险累积效应和风险传染效应两个视角揭示跨境资本流动对银行风险的影响机理,并基于2000年第一季度至2020年第四季度时间序列数据进行经验检验,结果表明:跨境资本流动、跨境资本流入、跨境资本流出均显著增加了银行风险,且三者对银行风险的影响均存在显著的风险累积效应;跨境资本流动、跨境资本流入、跨境资本流出均通过影响金融机构人民币各项贷款余额同比增速、金融机构外币各项贷款余额同比增速、金融机构本外币各项贷款余额同比增速以及境内住户中长期消费贷款同比增速等信贷渠道显著提高银行风险承担水平,实现银行风险累积,从而增加银行风险;跨境资本流动、跨境资本流入、跨境资本流出均显著提高了股票价格、房地产价格和实际汇率的波动水平,且跨境资本流动通过股票市场、房地产市场和汇率市场将波动水平传染至银行系统,增加了银行风险,股票市场、房地产市场和汇率市场更是强化了这种传染效应。     

投资者情绪与股票收益——来自移动互联网的实证研究

移动互联网的高速发展使得越来越多的投资者通过移动互联网获取信息并做出投资决策。文章利用网络爬虫技术收集来自移动互联网的用户讨论信息，研究来自移动互联网的用户情绪对股票收益的影响，实证结果显示：移动互联网用户情绪存在显著不对称特征，其更倾向于表现积极乐观的情绪，且其正负面情绪差异大于PCs端；同时，移动互联网用户情绪越乐观，下一期股票收益越高。进一步实证结果表明，处于较差信息环境（如散户持股较高，分析师跟踪人数较少）的公司，移动互联网用户情绪对其股票收益的影响更加显著；此外，对于流动性越差的公司，移动互联网用户情绪对其股票收益的影响也越显著。文章研究结论为移动互联网时代的投资者优化投资决策提供了新的视角，也是对行为金融学中传统媒体定价领域的重要补充。     

Interaction between Foreign and Domestic Investors in the Korean Stock and Futures Markets*

The present paper analyzes the behavioral relations of major investor groups in the stabilized Korean stock and futures markets after the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Investor groups cannot be classified as positive or negative feedback traders on market returns when both stock and futures markets are considered, which is inconsistent with the results in Ghysels and Seon (2005). Foreign investors and domestic institutions tend to take opposite positions in both markets. The impact of foreign investors on the basis change is significantly negative in the futures market, whereas domestic institutions have a negative relation in the stock market. This supports the view that selling activity of foreign investors in the futures market pulls the futures price down compared with the index value and, consequently, induces the reverse cash‐and‐carry trade of domestic institutions. This relationship, which negatively influenced the Korean economy during the crisis, as shown in Ghysels and Seon (2005), still exists in the Korean financial markets.     

外资撤离对我国银行业的影响——以房地产市场为传导渠道

自2002年起,外资基于人民币升值及中国资产回报高的预期而不断流入我国。这些资金多数涌入了股票市场和房地产市场。自金融危机以来,外资开始有计划地撤离中国市场。对依赖于外部融资的房地产市场而言,外资的流入与流出有较大的影响力。外资通过影响房地产市场,对我国银行业也有着间接的影响。本文从以房地产市场为传导渠道的角度,对此进行了分析。     

Localization of foreign multinational companies in Korea

In response to the 1997 Asian financial crisis that devastated the Korean economy, the government performed promotional efforts, comprehensive structural reform, and implemented policies to create a favorable environment for foreign direct investment (FDI). While the Korean government announced deregulation plans to support foreign companies, the public also became more aware of the need for foreign capital to overcome the crisis and revive the economy. The change of atmosphere and the perception on the need to induce the inflow of foreign capital provided the basis for this study. In addition, the crucial role of foreign multinational companies and their efforts to achieve market recognition in a more comprehensive way have provoked this study on the localization of foreign multinational companies in Korea. Investment purposes, entry methods, and the degree of competition by multinational companies in Korea were the variables that lead these companies to respond to localization.     

市场情绪对股票走势的影响分析及预测

为探究投资者情绪对股票走势的影响,利用R软件的爬虫技术将人们对股票市场的看法抓取下来,将文本中的隐含情绪分为积极、消极及中性3种类别,并依此构建情绪得分作为市场情绪量化的结果.利用单位根检验等方法对上证指数与投资者情绪的因果关系进行探究并建立VAR模型.为更好地判断市场情绪对股票走势的影响程度,分别构建加入情绪得分前后的BP神经网络模型对上证指数收益率进行预测,比较两个模型的优劣,从而发现当股票预测模型加入市场情绪指标后误差更小,预测更为准确.     

Foreign direct investment by Japanese firms and corporate governance: in relation to the monetary policies of China, Korea and Japan

Reflecting upon the lessons from the Asian currency crises, more attention is being paid to the importance of consolidation for the domestic financial and capital markets, as well as international cooperation to avoid disturbing factors from abroad, such as massive inflows of speculative capital. The aim of financial reforms being executed in the East Asian countries, such as Japan, Korea, and China, is to improve the managerial efficiency of the business corporations and financial institutions.Recently, foreign direct investment by Japanese firms in the rest of the East Asia has been recovering. However, the existence of a financial system to realize optimal corporate governance is indispensable for the enhancement of direct investment. Namely, it is necessary to improve corporate profitability, and to distribute the increment of such profits between the host and the investor countries, in order to boost the welfare of the respective citizens, notwithstanding the type of foreign direct investment.     

Spillover Effects of Fraud Allegations and Investor Sentiment

We examine whether a stock price spillover effect spreads through the method of listing or country of origin and whether this spillover effect changes when investor sentiment shifts. Using a sample of fraud allegations against Chinese companies that became public through Chinese reverse mergers (CRMs), we investigate whether firms that experienced negative spillover effects on their stock prices are those from the same country and/or with the same method of listing as the firms accused of fraud. We first show that the negative spillover effect channeled through the firm's country of origin becomes stronger when investor sentiment about Chinese companies becomes pessimistic, as evinced by significant declines in the stock prices of non-fraudulent Chinese companies, including both CRMs and Chinese IPOs. Second, we show that the negative spillover effects on CRMs are stronger than those on Chinese IPOs and non-Chinese reverse mergers, suggesting that both country and listing method are applicable to CRMs. Our findings indicate that (i) investor sentiment plays an important role in the spillover process involving fraud allegations and (ii) while the two channels could coexist, negative spillover effects that spread through the country of origin play a more prominent role than those that spread through the method of listing.     

The Determinants of High-Technology Exports: A Panel Data Analysis

This paper uses a panel dataset from 1980 to 2008 to examine the determinants of high-technology exports. This research finds evidence that human capital, inflows of foreign direct investments, and openness to international trade are the major factors impacting the performance of a country's high-tech industry in the global market. It also shows that institutions do not have a direct impact on high-tech exports. However, institutions might impact high-tech exports indirectly via their effect on proximate factors such as human capital and inflows of foreign direct investments. This paper also demonstrates that gross capital formation, savings, and macroeconomic volatility have no significant effect on high-tech exports.     

CORPORATE DEBT RESOLUTION AND THE ROLE OF FOREIGN CAPITAL IN THE POST‐CRISIS RESTRUCTURING OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA

The outbreak of the financial crisis in the Republic of Korea in 1997 exposed the structural weaknesses in the country's economy. Heated debates have failed to generate definitive answers on just what caused the financial crisis. Considering the importance of restructuring the corporate sector, this paper analyzed how the resolution of corporate debts was accomplished and examined the role of foreign capital in Korea's post‐crisis corporate restructuring. Special attention was given to the measures devised to recover nonperforming loans for the liquidation of corporate debts, to the foreign capital inflows through cross‐border M&As or privatization processes, and to the changes in control through corporate governance reforms. This paper concluded that the resolution of corporate debts has been satisfactory and successful and that foreign capital contributed significantly to effective corporate restructuring and debt resolution in the post‐crisis restructuring of Korea.     

A reexamination of capital controls’ effectiveness: Recent experience of Thailand

This paper investigates the impact of the Unremunerated Reserve Requirement (URR) measure recently imposed in Thailand by applying three quantitative techniques of Edison and Reinhart (2001). We find that the URR measure was not completely effective in stabilizing the exchange rate, which was its original purpose. Although the THB onshore rate became more stable and less interdependent after the implementation of the URR, it was not completely isolated from other Asian currencies. Meanwhile, the URR measure was successful in reducing the total of net capital inflow and altering its composition toward preferable long-term investment, but it was unsuccessful in reducing short-term private external debt. In addition, since foreign equity investment was exempted from the measure, short-term capital inflows were forced to go mainly through the stock market; consequently, the URR had a limited impact on the equity market. Lastly, we find some side-effects of the measure, namely a wider spread between onshore and offshore rates, a bearish market sentiment, an obstacle to the debt market development, and a negative effect on the credibility of the Monetary Authority.     

Facts and myths about Korea's economic past

The orthodoxy in South and North Korean historiography states that Japan's annexation of Korea in 1910 wrought havoc on indigenous economic development and started an era of exploitation lasting until 1945. Recent studies show the claim to be based less upon facts than upon Marxist dogma and nationalist sentiment. During the nineteenth century, Korea was not on the verge of modern economic growth, but in demographic and economic decline. Living standards improved and industrialisation occurred in the context of rapid population growth during the colonial period due to transfer of capital and advanced technology from Japan.     

Excess Liquidity and Inflation Dynamics in China： 1997-2007

The surge in international capital inflows and the remarkable excess liquidity in China between 1997and 2007are examined in the present paper. It is shown that China＇s improved position in terms of foreign exchange purchases, ignited by huge foreign capital inflows, has effectively induced excess liquidity in China. More importantly, by developing an econometric madel for inflation and excess liquidity, the present study demonstrates that excess liquidity has imposed significant pressure on inflation in China over the past 10 years. This finding suggests that excess liquidity in China has not only contributed to the rise in stock prices and the real estate market boom, but also affected the consumer goods market. The potential transmission mechanism of liquidity-driven inflation and policy implications of the findings of this study are discussed.