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The political institutional and firm governance determinants of liquidity: Evidence from North Africa and the Arab Spring

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  • Hearn, Bruce

Abstract

This study undertakes a unique comparison into the relative efficacy of four well established liquidity measures, namely turnover, proportion of daily zero returns, Amihud (2002) and Liu (2006), in explaining the bid-ask spread plus brokerage costs when powerful and common firm governance mechanisms are taken into account as controls. These are representative of ownership of listed firms by state, long term foreign partners, entrepreneurial founders, single family entities, extended family groups and business networks, domestic and foreign venture capitalists. An additional control for firms within business network controlled by former Tunisian premier, Ben Ali, and Morocco's royal family is also included. Using a unique sample of all listed firms across the equity markets of Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria I find evidence of equity capital rationing during the Arab Spring period of political upheaval. Less well regulated SME markets such as Morocco's marche croissance have liquidity-based transactions costs attributable to Arab Spring four times those of the marche principal while those in Egypt's Nilex are twenty times those of the prestigious EGX30 index. Finally the greatest changes in political risks associated with aggregate liquidity across the Arab Spring are democratic accountability, military in politics, and law and order.

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  • Hearn, Bruce, 2014. "The political institutional and firm governance determinants of liquidity: Evidence from North Africa and the Arab Spring," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 127-158.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:intfin:v:31:y:2014:i:c:p:127-158
    DOI: 10.1016/j.intfin.2014.03.006
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    2. Samuel Kwesi Dunyo & Samuel Amponsah Odei, 2023. "Firm-Level Innovations in an Emerging Economy: Do Perceived Policy Instability and Legal Institutional Conditions Matter?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-24, January.
    3. Hearn, Bruce, 2015. "Institutional influences on board composition of international joint venture firms listing on emerging stock exchanges: Evidence from Africa," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 50(1), pages 205-219.
    4. Michael Siemon, 2018. "Price Synchronicity, Inter-Firm Networks, and Business Groups in the Middle East and North Africa," Working Papers 1267, Economic Research Forum, revised 10 Dec 2018.
    5. Almas Heshmati & Ilham Haouas & Kazi Sohag & Muhammad Shahbaz, 2017. "Hiring and Separation Rates Before and after the Arab Spring in the Tunisian Labour Market," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 85(2), pages 259-278, June.
    6. Hearn, Bruce & Phylaktis, Kate & Piesse, Jenifer, 2017. "Expropriation risk by block holders, institutional quality and expected stock returns," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 122-149.
    7. Boamah, Nicholas Addai & Akotey, Joseph Oscar & Aaawaar, Godfred, 2020. "Economic engagement and within emerging markets integration," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    8. Hearn, Bruce & Oxelheim, Lars & Randøy, Trond, 2018. "The institutional determinants of private equity involvement in business groups—The case of Africa," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(2), pages 118-133.
    9. Kingsley Y. L. Fong & Craig W. Holden & Charles A. Trzcinka, 2017. "What Are the Best Liquidity Proxies for Global Research?," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 21(4), pages 1355-1401.
    10. Boamah, Nicholas Addai & Loudon, Geoffrey & Watts, Edward J., 2017. "Structural breaks in the relative importance of country and industry factors in African stock returns," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 79-88.
    11. Hearn, Bruce & Strange, Roger & Piesse, Jenifer, 2017. "Social elites on the board and executive pay in developing countries: Evidence from Africa," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 52(2), pages 230-243.
    12. Boamah, Nicholas Addai & Watts, Edward J. & Loudon, Geoffrey, 2017. "Financial crisis, the real sector and global effects on the African stock markets," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 88-96.
    13. Arayssi, Mahmoud & Fakih, Ali, 2017. "Finance–growth nexus in a changing political region: How important was the Arab Spring?," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 106-123.
    14. repec:oup:rfinst:v:21:y:2017:i:4:p:1355-1401. is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Boamah, Nicholas Addai, 2017. "The dynamics of the relative global sector effects and contagion in emerging markets equity returns," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 39(PA), pages 433-453.
    16. Boako, Gideon & Alagidede, Paul, 2018. "African stock markets in the midst of the global financial crisis: Recoupling or decoupling?," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 166-180.
    17. Dias, Rui & da Silva, Jacinto Vidigal & Dionísio, Andreia, 2019. "Financial markets of the LAC region: Does the crisis influence the financial integration?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 160-173.
    18. Abel Ebeh Ezeoha, 2017. "Corporate Finance in Africa: The Interactive Impact of Firm Nationality and Characteristics," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(3), pages 849-873, August.
    19. Hearn, Bruce & Li, Jing & Mykhayliv, Dariya & Waqas, Muhammad, 2021. "Asset pricing in the Middle East’s equity markets," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Liquidity; Liquidity determinants; Emerging financial markets; Africa;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G15 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - International Financial Markets
    • N20 - Economic History - - Financial Markets and Institutions - - - General, International, or Comparative

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