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Is the International Diversification Potential Diminishing? Foreign Equity Inside and Outside the US

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  • Lewis, Karen K.

    (U of Pennsylvania)

Abstract

International capital markets have become more integrated over the past twenty years. In this paper, I ask what this integration and its resulting higher correlation would imply about international diversification potential using returns from foreign market indices and foreign stocks that are listed and traded in the US. I extend the break-date estimation approach of Bai and Perron (1998) to consider potentially changing covariances over time. I find that the covariances among country stock markets have increased only slightly while the foreign stocks in the US markets have become significantly more correlated with the US market.

Suggested Citation

  • Lewis, Karen K., 2006. "Is the International Diversification Potential Diminishing? Foreign Equity Inside and Outside the US," Working Papers 06-6, University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School, Weiss Center.
    • Handle: RePEc:ecl:upafin:06-6
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    Cited by:

    1. Voth, Hans-Joachim & Quinn, Dennis, 2008. "Free Flows, Limited Diversification: Explaining the Fall and Rise of Stock Market Correlations, 1890-2001," CEPR Discussion Papers 7013, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. Boyle, Glenn, 2009. "Capital Market Integration: A Review of the Issues and an Assessment of New Zealand's Position," Working Paper Series 4034, Victoria University of Wellington, The New Zealand Institute for the Study of Competition and Regulation.
    3. repec:vuw:vuwscr:19136 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Peter Christoffersen & Vihang Errunza & Kris Jacobs & Hugues Langlois, 2012. "Is the Potential for International Diversification Disappearing? A Dynamic Copula Approach," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 25(12), pages 3711-3751.
    5. Haytem Troug & Matt Murray, 2020. "Crisis determination and financial contagion: an analysis of the Hong Kong and Tokyo stock markets using an MSBVAR approach," Journal of Economic Studies, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 48(8), pages 1548-1572, December.
    6. Boyle, Glenn, 2009. "Capital Market Integration: A Review of the Issues and an Assessment of New Zealand's Position," Working Paper Series 19136, Victoria University of Wellington, The New Zealand Institute for the Study of Competition and Regulation.
    7. Nahil Boussiga & Ezzeddine Abaoub, 2013. "International Financial Integration And Equity Risk Premium In Emerging Countries," Journal of Applied Management and Investments, Department of Business Administration and Corporate Security, International Humanitarian University, vol. 2(1), pages 4-14.
    8. Shamila Jayasuriya & William Shambora & Rosemary Rossiter, 2009. "Asymmetric Volatility in Emerging and Mature Markets," Journal of Emerging Market Finance, Institute for Financial Management and Research, vol. 8(1), pages 25-43, April.
    9. Chi‐Hsiou Hung, 2008. "Return Predictability of Higher‐Moment CAPM Market Models," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(7‐8), pages 998-1022, September.
    10. Dennis P. Quinn & Hans-Joachim Voth, 2008. "A Century of Global Equity Market Correlations," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 98(2), pages 535-540, May.
    11. Ching-Chuan Tsong & Cheng-Feng Lee, 2013. "Further Evidence On Real Interest Rate Equalization: Panel Information, Non-Linearities And Structural Changes," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 65, pages 85-105, May.
    12. Chakraborty, Indraneel & Hai, Rong & Holter, Hans A. & Stepanchuk, Serhiy, 2017. "The real effects of financial (dis)integration: A multi-country equilibrium analysis of Europe," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 28-45.
    13. Dennis Quinn & Hans-Joachim Voth, 2010. "Free Flows, Limited Diversification: Openness and the Fall and Rise of Stock Market Correlations, 1890–2001," NBER Chapters, in: NBER International Seminar on Macroeconomics 2009, pages 7-39, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. Chi‐Hsiou Hung, 2008. "Return Predictability of Higher‐Moment CAPM Market Models," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(7‐8), pages 998-1022, September.
    15. Arghyrou, Michael G. & Gregoriou, Andros & Kontonikas, Alexandros, 2009. "Do real interest rates converge? Evidence from the European union," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 19(3), pages 447-460, July.
    16. Beck, Krzysztof & Yersh, Valeryia, 2024. "Economic integration and consumption risk sharing: A comparison of Eurozone and OECD countries," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 89(PB), pages 784-803.
    17. Chi-Hsiou Hung, 2007. "Return Explanatory Ability and Predictability of Non-Linear Market Models," Department of Economics Working Papers 2007_05, Durham University, Department of Economics.

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    • C32 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes; State Space Models

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