The Rise in Comovement Across National Stock Markets: Market Integration or Global Bubble?

Author/Editor:

Robin Brooks ; Marco Del Negro

Publication Date:

September 1, 2002

Electronic Access:

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Disclaimer: This Working Paper should not be reported as representing the views of the IMF.The views expressed in this Working Paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the IMF or IMF policy. Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to further debate

Summary:

The degree of comovement across national stock markets has increased dramatically since the mid-1990s. This has overturned a stylized fact in the international portfolio diversification literature that diversifying across countries is more effective for risk reduction than diversifying across industries. We investigate if this rise in comovement is a permanent phenomenon driven by greater economic and financial integration, or a temporary effect associated with the recent stock market bubble. At the global level, our results point to the bubble. At a regional level, we find evidence of a significant rise in market integration within Europe, possibly a reflection of institutional changes such as the EMU.

Series:

Working Paper No. 2002/147

Subject:

Emerging and frontier financial markets Financial institutions Financial integration Financial markets Market capitalization Stock markets Stocks

English

Publication Date:

September 1, 2002

ISBN/ISSN:

9781451856743/1018-5941

Stock No:

WPIEA1472002

Pages:

23

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