Rare earth and allied sectors in stock markets: extreme dependence of return and volatility

This study examines the dynamics of return and volatility connectedness between the rare earth stock index and the indexes of clean energy, consumer electronics, telecommunications, healthcare equipment, and aerospace & defence. Using daily data from 25 March 2010 to 25 August 2020, a quantile-based connectedness approach is applied to uncover both average and tail-based connectedness while considering the full sample period and the COVID-19 pandemic days. The results suggest that the interdependence among these indexes changes dramatically at the lower and upper quantiles, suggesting a strong influence of extreme market scenarios on both returns and volatility connectedness dynamics. Higher integration of sectoral indexes is observed during 2010–2012 and the COVID-19 pandemic period. Health care and telecommunication indexes have been consistent transmitters of return and volatility spillovers to other indexes during the full sample period. Consumer electronics and clean technology indexes switch their roles from a net receiver to a net transmitter during pandemic days. The rare earth remains on the recipient’s side consistently. The findings indicate that the ongoing U.S.–China trade embargo has not impacted the return and volatility dynamics of the five sectoral indexes superseding the demand-driven dynamics for rare earth.