The Dynamics of Emerging Stock Markets


Book Description

This contest comprises a selection of topics that focus on African stock market performance. The main factor in this analysis is to examine the dynamic behavior of stock returns in a number of emerging stock markets from Asia and Africa, the efficiency in pricing securities as well as the relation between exchange rate and dynamics of equity returns. The purpose of this study is to contribute to the debate by examining some issues concerning the efficiency of market and the relation between exchange rate and equity returns. These issues have not been examined so far for both Asian and African stock markets together, so this paper attempts to fill that gap by addressing the following objectives, which are (1) to examine the Random Walk Hypothesis (RWH) for stock prices in Asian and African emerging Markets, (2) to determine whether exchange rates affect tests of equity returns in emerging markets, and (3)to investigate whether large capitalization stocks follow a random walk .The main significance of our study of these objectives is the use of the latest test methodologies in analyzing an investment area that is growing in the emerging stock markets.




Investing in Africa


Book Description

"What a great economic tour of Africa! Provides a top-down understanding of Africa's financial opportunities and a bottoms-up view for investing." - William T. Comfort, Chairman, Citibank Venture Capital, Ltd. "Long overdue! Finally, we have a comprehensive and insightful view of the stock of the stock market investment opportunities in Africa. Yes, 'Tarzan does not live here anymore!' and this book explores the ultimate emerging market with the potential for outstanding investment returns. The book is well organized and gives readers a complete picture of not only all the stock markets in Africa, but also the economic and political background of this exciting area. Case studies and investment examples provide the reader with a realistic view of investing in Africa." - Mark Mobius, President, Templeton Emerging Markets Fund Vastly promising financial opportunities await savvy investors in twenty-first-century Africa. After decades of successful returns for U.S. multinationals from Coca-Cola to Citigroup to Microsoft to McDonald's. Africa has evolved as the birthplace of more new stock markets than any other part of the world. This authoritative guide provides institutional and sophisticated individual investors with a complete, insider's view of the markets, and: * Debunks common misconceptions about Africa and explains why it is the ultimate emerging market * Explains the driving force behind the African economy * Pinpoints available investment vehicles and resources * Weighs the potential risks and rewards for U.S. investors Written by two experts in the field, Investing in Africa contains information on everything from the least known investment opportunities to the world's most recent top performing stock markets--all found within this rapidly evolving, richly promising continent.




The Dynamics of Market Integration


Book Description

This book looks at contemporary issues facing financial markets in Eastern and Southern Africa. The book addresses strategies for capital market integration and development on a region-wide basis. An argument is made that the establishment of a regional stock exchange and the promotion of multiple listings and cross-border trade in securities would stimulate increased liquidity on national stock exchanges in Eastern and Southern Africa. Lessons of experience are drawn from other regions and a case is made against transplanting models of a regional stock exchange from one region to another. The book argues that African countries may, however, use lessons of experience from other regions as points of reference, while pursuing their own discourse of self-determination. Each case is unique and is thus surrounded by different variables. The book covers developments in regions such as the European Union, francophone West Africa and Eastern and Southern Africa. Indeed, an international and comparative perspective is provided.




Efficient Market Hypothesis in Africa's Sub-Saharan Stock Markets


Book Description

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2009 in the subject Economics - Case Scenarios, grade: 1,3, University of Mannheim (Lehrstuhl für Volkswirtschaftslehre, insbes. Ökonometrie), course: Bachelorarbeit, language: English, abstract: In recent years foreign aid was often conditioned on good institutions. Due to this course the development of financial institutions has been considered vital for the development process. This thesis points in its theoretical part to the positive effects of efficient stock markets on economic growth and examines empirically the efficiency of Africa's sub-Saharan stock markets. Results are then compared with the same tests on four emerging markets in Asia and as a benchmark on S&P 500 and DAX. It discusses further the relationship between market efficiency and financial crisis and comes to the conclusion that a crisis worsens the respective efficiency level. Nevertheless, all African markets are at least able to pass the critical lowest hurdle of market efficiency. However, conclusions from the research propose, that the Asian markets perform better than the African markets, although the study comes to some inconclusive results. Limits to the efficient market hypothesis itself and its empirical analysis are shown throughout the paper. The study suggests that former reforms need to be intensified in order to avoid a further increase in overall income inequalities.




Efficient Market Hypothesis in Africa’s Sub-Saharan Stock Markets


Book Description

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2009 in the subject Economics - Case Scenarios, grade: 1,3, University of Mannheim (Lehrstuhl für Volkswirtschaftslehre, insbes. Ökonometrie), course: Bachelorarbeit, language: English, abstract: In recent years foreign aid was often conditioned on good institutions. Due to this course the development of financial institutions has been considered vital for the development process. This thesis points in its theoretical part to the positive effects of efficient stock markets on economic growth and examines empirically the efficiency of Africa’s sub-Saharan stock markets. Results are then compared with the same tests on four emerging markets in Asia and as a benchmark on S&P 500 and DAX. It discusses further the relationship between market efficiency and financial crisis and comes to the conclusion that a crisis worsens the respective efficiency level. Nevertheless, all African markets are at least able to pass the critical lowest hurdle of market efficiency. However, conclusions from the research propose, that the Asian markets perform better than the African markets, although the study comes to some inconclusive results. Limits to the efficient market hypothesis itself and its empirical analysis are shown throughout the paper. The study suggests that former reforms need to be intensified in order to avoid a further increase in overall income inequalities.




Africa's Emerging Securities Markets


Book Description

The increasing globalization of financial markets has resulted in a substantial increase in net private capital flows to developing countries, primarily the emerging economies of Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. Until recently, investors have ignored opportunities in Africa. African markets caught investors' attention in 1994 with Kenya's 179% U.S. dollar returns leading world equity markets, along with six of the world's top ten markets being in Africa. With low levels of correlation between African and developed world markets, the African exchanges represent ideal portfolio diversification opportunities. Moreover, rates of return for African investments are among the highest returns in the world, yet African nations have not attracted the foreign direct investment that is required to change their economies. Dr. Clark's research examines the nature and evolution of Africa's emerging securities markets and their role in regional economic development. He shows that the continent's trading systems represent many different trading arrangements without standardized rules and procedures. African countries continue to implement reforms to strengthen the development of financial markets, but without the appropriate market microstructure and custodial arrangements international investors will not provide African projects with the equity capital required for further development. The government's role in the regulation of developing equity markets, therefore, is a critical element to the success of the reform process. Clark argues that freeing the economies to international competition will reap significant dividends for the continent's emerging economies. As the markets evolve, structural impediments will reduce, leading to increased efficiencies and lower capital costs.




The Efficiency of Emerging Stock Markets


Book Description

This paper examines the efficiency in pricing securities as well as the relation between exchange rate and dynamics of equity returns in a number of emerging stock markets from Africa and Asia,. This study utilizes methodologies based on Single variance ratio test of Lo and Mackinlay (1988), multiple variance tests of Chow and Denning (1993), individual variance test based on ranks and signs of Wright (2000), Wild bootstrap test of Chow and Denning introduced by Kim (2006), and joint version of sign test of Wright by Kim and Shamsuddin (2008). Results shows that Egyptian, Moroccan and Indian exchanges are not in conformity with the Random Walk Hypothesis (RWH) from the perspective of both local and international investors. Whereas the first two markets are considered inefficient in pricing equities, from the perspective of both local and international investors, when monthly returns are employed. The Indian market supports that testing for RWH is sensitive to the frequency of data used. It is worth mentioning that empirical results demonstrate also insensitivity of testing of RWH to exchange rate changes. The main significance of our study is the use of the latest test methodologies in analyzing an investment area that is growing in the emerging stock markets.




Stock Market Development in Sub-Saharan Africa


Book Description

This paper examines the economic importance of stock markets in Africa. It discusses policy options for promoting the development of the stock market in Africa. The results of the paper show that the stock markets have contributed to the financing of the growth of large corporations in certain African countries. An econometric investigation of the impact of stock markets on growth in selected African countries, however, finds inconclusive evidence even though stock market value traded seem to be positively and significantly associated with growth. African stock exchanges now face the challenge of integration and need better technical and institutional development to address the problem of low liquidity. Preconditions for successful regional approaches include the harmonization of legislations such as bankruptcy and accounting laws and a liberalized trade regime. Robust electronic trading systems and central depository systems will be important. Further domestic financial liberalization such as steps to improve the legal and accounting framework, private sector credit evaluation capabilities, and public sector regulatory oversight would also be beneficial.




Co-Movements Between Developed and Africa's Frontier Stock Markets


Book Description

It has been widely noted that as the world becomes more connected the movements of the Developed and the main Emerging Stock Markets of the world are getting closer over time. This co-movement of the world's developed and emerging markets reduces the benefit that could be obtained from diversification across more than one national market. The key question for international investors who are seeking higher returns and less volatility in their portfolios is whether diversifying into the smaller, less liquid Frontier Emerging Markets, simply known as Frontier Markets, would provide the needed variation in equity price movements. This book seeks to answer this question by investigating the degree of correlation in the movements of the equity prices of Frontier African Stock Markets with those of the Developed Stock Markets of the world.