EFFECT OF MACROECONOMIC FACTORS ON TRADING VOLUMES OF MANUFACTURING AND ALLIED COMPANIES LISTED IN NAIROBI SECURITIES EXCHANGE

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to establish the effect of macroeconomic factors on stocks trading volumes of manufacturing and allied companies listed in Nairobi Securities Exchange. 
 Materials and Methods: The research adopted a quantitative descriptive design that focuses on nine manufacturing and allied companies listed in NSE and make up in the list of 25-share index companies. The nine manufacturing and allied companies were selected through purposive sampling techniques, where samples were selected based specific factors. The data used in the research was collected from Central Bank of Kenya, Nairobi Security Exchange and Kenya Bureau of Statistics. This research employed a panel data analysis using STATA software. Treasury bill rate was dropped from the model due to multicollinearity.
 Results: The analysis found that there was a negative relationship between inflation on trading volume, exchange rate had a negative correlation with stock trading, lending rate had a negative correlation with stock trading volume of manufacturing and allied companies listed in the Nairobi Stock Exchange. 
 Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study recommends the government should initiate policies that will lower the lending rate in Kenya as lower lending rate may translate to higher stock trading volumes. Further studies should research on other factors affecting stock trade volume which may include the value of the stocks and the information size in the market.