Equity market integration in emerging Balkan markets

This paper examines long-run relationships among five Balkan emerging stock markets (Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Serbia), the United States and three developed European markets (UK, Germany, Greece), during the period 2000-2009. Conventional, regime-switching cointegration tests and Monte Carlo simulation provide evidence in favour of a long-run cointegrating relationship between the Balkan emerging markets within the region and globally. Moreover, we apply the Asymmetric Generalized Dynamic Conditional Correlation (AG-DCC) multivariate GARCH model of Cappiello et al. (2006), in order to capture the impact of the 2007-2009 financial crisis on the time-varying correlation dynamics among the developed and the Balkan stock markets. Results show that stock market dependence is heightened, supporting the herding behaviour during the 2008 stock market crash period. Our findings have important implications for international portfolio diversification and the effectiveness of domestic policies, as these emerging markets are exposed to external shocks.     

An examination of causality and predictability between Australian domestic and offshore interest rates

This paper studies the causality and predictability between Australian domestic and offshore short term interest rates in both the first and second moments during the period 1987 to 1996. Causality flow is observed to be stronger from the domestic to the offshore market in the earlier sub periods but characterised by significant two-way causality flow in the latter sub-periods. Volatility tests show that the volatility in one market spills over to the other market simultaneously, which is consistent with Australian markets being well integrated with global markets. The predictability across the two markets in the first moments is examined through an error correction model, whose forecasting performance is assessed relative to a benchmark random walk model. To test the predictability of volatility, four different models are compared: A GARCH model, A GARCH model incorporating contemporaneous spillover effects, a GARCH model with lagged spillover effects, and a benchmark random walk model. Results indicate that the error correction model and the GARCH model with contemporaneous volatility spillover are the superior models for forecasting changes in interest rates and for forecasting volatility, respectively.     

International Stock Market Efficiency and Integration: A Study of Eighteen Nations

This study examines the relationships among stock prices in eighteen national stock markets by using unit root and cointegration tests for the period 1961--92. All the markets were analyzed individually and collectively in regions to test for market efficiency. The results from unit root tests suggest that the world equity markets are weak-form efficient. The cointegration test results show that there are only a small number of significant cointegrating vectors over the last three decades. However, the number of significant cointegrating vectors increases after the October 1987 stock market crash, a result that is consistent with the contagion effect.     

Garch effects on a test of cointegration

This article discusses the effects of GARCH type error processes on the use of the Engle and Granger cointegration test for two variables. Simulation results indicate that (nearly) integrated GARCH processes, as well as GARCH processes that are not covariance stationary, change the critical values. An application to testing for cointegration between spot and futures prices illustrates the practical relevance of using the appropriate critical values.     

An Empirical Analysis of Stock Prices in Major Asian Markets and the United States

This study uses unit root and cointegration tests to examine the relationships among the stock markets in Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, and the United States. All the stock prices are analyzed both individually and collectively to test for international market efficiency. Unit roots in stock prices are found. Pairwise and higher-order cointegration tests indicate that there is no evidence of cointegration among the stock prices. The findings suggest that the stock prices in major Asian markets and the United States are weak-form efficient individually and collectively in the long run. It also implies that international diversification among the markets is effective.     

Causality in volatility and volatility spillover effects between US, Japan and four equity markets in the South China Growth Triangular

In examining co-movement across international stock markets, previous researchers usually pre-determine the direction of causation and neglect the Chinese equity markets. In this study, we examine the spillover effects of volatility among the two developed markets and four emerging markets in the South China Growth Triangular using Chueng and Ng's causality-in-variance test. Several findings deserve mention: (1) the Japanese stock market affects the US stock market and there is a feedback relationship between the Hong Kong and US stock market. (2) Markets of the SCGT are contemporaneously correlated with the return volatility of the US market. (3) Econometric models constructed according to the results of variance-in-causality tests have greater explanatory power than the conventional GARCH(1,1) model. (4) Using the return volatility of foreign exchange as a proxy for informational arrival can explain excess kurtosis of a stock return series, especially for the less open emerging market. (5) Geographic proximity and economic ties do not necessarily lead to a strong relationship in volatility across markets.     

Causality and cointegration of stock markets among the United States,Japan and the South China Growth Triangle

This paper explores the causality and cointegration relationships among the stock markets of the United States, Japan and the South China Growth Triangle (SCGT) region. Applying the recently advanced unit root and cointegration techniques that allow for structural breaks over the sample period (October 2, 1992 to June 30, 1997), we find that there exists no cointegration among these markets except for that between Shanghai and Shenzhen. By invoking the Granger causality test and considering the non-synchronous trading problem, we will show that stock price changes in the US have more impact on SCGT markets than do those of Japan. More specifically, price changes in the US can be used to predict those of the Hong Kong and Taiwan markets on next day. Similarly, price changes on the Hong Kong stock market lead the Taiwan market by 1 day. Furthermore, the stock returns of the US and Hong Kong markets are found to be contemporaneous. Finally, there is a significant feedback relationship between the Shanghai and the Shenzhen Stock Exchanges.     

Dynamic relationship between exchange rate and stock price: Evidence from China

The paper empirically analyzes the dynamic relationship between Renminbi (RMB) real effective exchange rate and stock price with VAR and multivariate generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH) models using monthly data from January 1991 to June 2009. The results show that there is not a stable long-term equilibrium relationship between RMB real effective exchange rate and stock price. There are also not mean spillovers between the foreign exchange and stock markets. Furthermore, the paper examines the cross-volatility effects between foreign exchange and stock markets using likelihood ratio statistic. There exist the bidirection volatility spillovers effects between the two markets, indicating the past innovations in stock market have the great effect on future volatility in foreign exchange market, and vice versa.     

Interdependence and Volatility Spillovers Under Market Liberalization: The Case of Istanbul Stock Exchange

This paper analyzes stock returns and volatility relations between the Istanbul Stock Exchange (ISE) and the global market as represented by stock markets in the US, the UK, Japan and Germany. Results from monthly data and multivariate cointegration tests suggest that the ISE became significantly integrated in the global market only in the period following market liberalization in late 1989. We also find evidence based on GARCH estimations that capital liberalization actually mitigated, rather than intensified, volatility in the ISE. Our results further suggest that the Asian crisis in mid‐1997 and the consequent Russian economic meltdown in mid‐1998 are partly responsible for the recent excessive volatility in the Turkish market. The results also identify the US and the UK markets as dominate sources of volatility spillovers for the ISE, even in the period following the Asian‐Russian crises. Consequently, it appears that the two matured markets of the US and the UK shoulder significant responsibility for the stability and financial health of smaller emerging markets like the ISE.     

On the stability of long-run relationships between emerging and US stock markets

While most studies have found no cointegration between emerging and US stock markets, some recent studies do find a long-run relationship exists between these markets. In view of these mixed findings, this study examines the stability of long-run relationships between a number of emerging stock markets and the US stock market using recursive cointegration analysis. The results show that no long-run relationship exists between emerging markets and the US market over most of the sample period throughout 1997. However, we do find clear evidence of cointegration in response to the recent global emerging market crisis in 1997–1998. We conclude that significant crisis events can change the degree of cointegration between international stock markets and, therefore, need to be taken into account in studies of long-run relationships between international stock markets.     

Economic interdependence and common stochastic trends: A comparative analysis between EMU and non-EMU stock markets

Whether economic interdependence among countries is a contributing factor to cointegration and common stochastic trends in international stock markets is indiscernible due to contradictory results from prior empirical work. This study aims to add clarity to this issue through a more distinct grouping of countries and methodological enhancements. A comparative analysis of cointegration is conducted between stock market price indices of major Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) and non-EMU countries. The conventional Johansen methodology is augmented with several diagnostic techniques (that have not been all inclusive in previous studies) to ensure the robustness of test results. Major findings pertinent to investors and policymakers are that economic interdependence appears to be the important contributing factor and that the U.S. stock market does not exert influences on long-run performances of other included stock markets. Furthermore, while the UK is not an EMU member, it may be viewed as a quasi EMU participant due to its stock market being cointegrated with and yet one of the common stochastic trends (besides those of Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands) within the EMU stock markets under investigation.     

Long-run equilibrium, short-term adjustment, and spillover effects across Chinese segmented stock markets and the Hong Kong stock market

This paper adopts a novel FIVECM-BEKK GARCH approach to examine the bilateral relationships among the A-share and B-share stock markets in China and the Hong Kong stock market. The evidence shows that these stock markets are fractionally cointegrated. Analyses of the spillover effects across these markets indicate that the A-share markets are most influential. The relaxation of government restrictions on the purchase of B shares by domestic residents accelerates the market integration process of A-share markets with the B-share and Hong Kong markets. The effects of the Asian crisis on the stock-return dynamic correlations vary across these markets.     

An International Asset Pricing Model with Time-Varying Hedging Risk

This paper employs a two-factor international equilibrium asset pricing model to examine the pricing relationships among the world's five largest equity markets. In addition to the traditional market factor premium, a hedging factor premium is included as the second factor to explain the relationship between risks and returns in the international stock markets. Moreover, a GARCH parameterization is adopted to characterize the general dynamics of the conditional second moments. The results suggest that the additional hedging risk premium is needed to explain rates of return on international equities. Furthermore, the restriction that the coefficient on the hedge-portfolio covariance is one smaller than the coefficient on the market-portfolio covariance can not be rejected. This suggests that the intertemporal asset pricing model proposed by Campbell (1993) can be used to explain the returns on the five largest stock market indices.     

Net Asset Value Discounts for Asian-Pacific Real Estate Companies: Long-Run Relationships and Short-Term Dynamics

This study investigates the time series behavior of real estate company net asset value discount/premium (NAVDISC) in eight Asian-Pacific securitized real estate markets from 1995 to 2003. We postulate that if there is a stable NAVDISC for real estate companies in the long-run, then there should be a long-run cointegrating relation between their stock prices (Ps) and net asset values (NAVs). Employing panel data cointegration econometrics that comprises three approaches; panel unit root test, heterogeneous panel cointegration test and dynamic panel error-correction modeling (ECM), we find that long run NAVDISCs persist in individual Asian-Pacific securitized real estate markets and the regional market. All the NAVDISCs exhibit mean reversion and that the respective disequilibrium errors fluctuate around the mean values. Moreover, NAV is an important factor that statistically explains the price variations in real estate stock prices regardless of their speed of mean-reversion in the NAV discount /premium.     

Integration Between the Baltic and International Stock Markets

Using cointegration tests, this paper analyzes the existence of long-run relationships among Baltic stock markets and major international stock markets, including the United States, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, and France. Bivariate and multivariate cointegration tests indicate a common trend linking Latvia to European markets. Evidence indicates that the German market dominates this long-run relationship. In general, short-term Granger causality indicates causality running from the European markets to the Baltic markets, as well as among the Baltic states, excepting Latvian and Lithuanian short-term effects on the Estonian market. Overall, the results suggest that international investors can obtain diversification benefits given a long-term investment horizon because of the low degree of integration between the Baltic and international capital markets.     

Portfolio diversification effects of trading blocs: The case of NAFTA

This study investigates the evolving nature of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) stock market interdependencies and their association with diversification gains from the perspective of US investors. The issues are addressed for both short- and long-run interdependencies through correlation of stock market returns and cointegration of stock market prices. The basic findings include: (1) the existence of a long-term relationship (a cointegration relation) which is time-varying and statistically unstable and (2) diversification gains with cointegration not consistently lower than without cointegration. Thus, per-unit-of-risk diversification gains to US investors from NAFTA stock markets are determined by return volatilities, return correlations and domestic market performance. Based on increased return volatilities and return correlations and the very small per-unit-of-risk diversification gains even when the US stock market performs poorly, US investors’ diversification gains have diminished since the implementation of NAFTA.     

Internal and external spillover effects for the BRIC countries: Multivariate GARCH-in-mean approach

This paper examines mean-to-mean, volatility-to-mean and volatility-to-volatility spillover effects for the stock markets of BRIC countries. External and internal spillovers of returns and volatilities are estimated using 4-dimensional BEKK-GARCH-in-mean model. The model also includes the returns of stock markets in the USA, Germany, Japan and the MSCI Emerging market index, as well as time-return interaction terms which allow taking into account the dynamics of their influence on BRIC stock markets during pre-crisis, crisis and recovery time periods. Some evidence for the famous ‘decoupling’ phenomenon is found. The research contributes to the literature on spillover effects by using multivariate GARCH models.     

Stock market comovements around the Global Financial Crisis: Evidence from the UK,BRICS and MIST markets

This paper analyses stock market co-movements around recent crises and explores the international portfolio diversification benefits available for UK investors holding a portfolio in the BRICS and MIST emerging markets. The application of conventional and regime-switch cointegration techniques suggests an absence of diversification benefits. Further evidence from application of a multivariate time-varying asymmetric model (i.e. AG-DCC) suggests that conditional correlation among the stock markets exhibits higher dependency when it is driven by negative shocks to the market. The asymmetric causality test provides supporting evidence of the decoupling hypothesis. The results indicate that the Chinese stock market is the most attractive option for the UK investor.     

Informed traders and their market preference: Empirical evidence from prices and volumes of options and stock

The causal structure of price and volume in options and stock markets is examined to investigate whether a preferred market for informed trading exists. The possible trade-off of leverage on one hand and liquidity and transactions costs on the other, and the effect of different market mechanisms, are discussed in this context.We test for cointegration and use the vector error correction (VEC) approach if we find it. Otherwise, causality tests are via the conventional vector autoregression (VAR). We find that volume leads price in both markets, but that option volume leads stock volume, and stock price leads option price. These results differ from previous studies. Potential explanations are discussed.     

Revisiting calendar anomalies in Asian stock markets using a stochastic dominance approach

Extensive evidence on the prevalence of calendar effects suggests that there exist abnormal returns. Some recent studies, however, have concluded that calendar effects have largely disappeared. In spite of the non-normal nature of stock returns, most previous studies have employed the mean-variance criterion or CAPM statistics. These methods rely on the normality assumption and depend only on the first two moments to test for calendar effects. A limitation of these approaches is that they miss important information contained in the data such as higher moments. In this paper we use a stochastic dominance (SD) test to test for the existence of day-of-the-week and January effects. We use daily data for 1988–2002 for several Asian markets. Our empirical results support the existence of weekday and monthly seasonality effects in some Asian markets, but suggest that first-order SD for the January effect has largely disappeared.