INTERDEPENDENCE BETWEEN STOCKS AND EXCHANGE RATE IN EAST ASIA — A WAVELET-BASED APPROACH

Abstract

This paper investigates whether the portfolio-balance approach or the flow-oriented theory better explains the connection between stocks and exchange rate in various time-horizons in the four East Asian countries — Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea and Japan. For the analysis, we use different approaches of the wavelet methodology — wavelet correlation, wavelet coherence and wavelet cross-correlation. Wavelet correlations suggest that negative correlation is dominant across the wavelet scales in the emerging East Asian markets, which indicates that the portfolio-balance approach, that is, capital mobility stands behind this nexus. For the Japanese case, we find positive wavelet correlation across the scales, which suggests that the flow-oriented model or current account explains the interlink. Results of wavelet coherence are in line with the wavelet correlation results, and these results provide an additional evidence that investors’ panic during World financial crisis was the main culprit behind the massive financial fund reallocation in the all emerging Asian markets.