Growth Volatility and Financial Liberalization

54 Pages Posted: 12 Mar 2002

See all articles by Geert Bekaert

Geert Bekaert

Columbia University - Columbia Business School, Finance

Campbell R. Harvey

Duke University - Fuqua School of Business; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Christian T. Lundblad

University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School; Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: July 29, 2005

Abstract

We examine the effects of both equity market liberalization and capital account openness on real consumption growth variability. We show that financial liberalization is mostly associated with lower consumption growth volatility. Our results are robust, surviving controls for business-cycle effects, economic and financial development, the quality of institutions, and other variables. Countries that have more open capital accounts experience a greater reduction in consumption growth volatility after equity market openings. The results hold for both total and idiosyncratic consumption growth volatility. We also find that financial liberalizations are associated with declines in the ratio of consumption growth volatility to GDP growth volatility, suggesting improved risk sharing. Our results are weaker for liberalizing emerging markets but we never observe a significant increase in real volatility. Moreover, we demonstrate significant differences in the volatility response depending on the size of the banking and government sectors and certain institutional factors.

Keywords: Economic volatility, risk sharing, financial openness, equity market liberalization, capital account openness, GDP volatility, consumption volatility

JEL Classification: F30, F36, F43, G15, G18, G28

Suggested Citation

Bekaert, Geert and Harvey, Campbell R. and Lundblad, Christian T., Growth Volatility and Financial Liberalization (July 29, 2005). EFA 2002 Berlin, Forthcoming, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=303175 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.303175

Geert Bekaert

Columbia University - Columbia Business School, Finance ( email )

NY
United States

Campbell R. Harvey (Contact Author)

Duke University - Fuqua School of Business ( email )

Box 90120
Durham, NC 27708-0120
United States
919-660-7768 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.duke.edu/~charvey

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

Christian T. Lundblad

University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School ( email )

Kenan-Flagler Business School
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3490
United States
919-962-8441 (Phone)

Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise ( email )

Campus Box 3440, The Kenan Center
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-344
United States

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