Price Discovery and Transmission Mechanism between CDS and FX markets

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between the CDS (credit default swap) market with the FX spot (FX swap) market, including the period of recent global financial crisis. A measure for market efficiency is the condition that the derivative markets dominate the asset market in price discovery. In our case, however, FX market should be leading the CDS market. We found FX (spot and Derivatives) market has co-integration relationship with CDS market. Looking at Gonzalo Granger (GG) and Hasbrouck's price discovery measure, we found the FX spot and derivatives market dominated CDS market in price discovery. This study has also examined the direction of shock spillover and volatility transmission between Korean CDS spread and Foreign exchange spot (FX swap) markets using the VECM bivariate GARCH approach. Our evidence suggested the presence of bi-directional shock volatility and volatility transmission between the CDS market and FX spot market partially exist. However, volatility spillover effects from CDS market to FX Swap market are stronger than in the reverse direction during the global financial crisis, indicating that the CDS spread signaling sovereign risk play a more important role in influencing the volatility of FX derivatives market. There are some particular features in FX market. The volatility and shock of CIP deviations reflecting arbitrage opportunities in FX swap market are influenced by those of CDS spread in tranquil period prior to Lehman failure. But after Lehman failure CDS played a crucial role in signaling credit risk in FX derivatives market. We found that higher liquidity and trading volume of market matters more in price discovery and information transmission.