Assessing the Dynamic Relationship Between Macroeconomic Factors and Stock Market Movement: Evidence from China

Abstract

This paper examines short-run and long-run dynamic relationships between selected macroeconomic variables and stock prices in the China Stock Exchange proxy by Shanghai Composite Index. The data is restricted to the period for which quarterly data are available from 1992 Q1 to 2019 Q4 (112 observations) retrieved from the Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis, GTA-CSMAR database, and CEIC Database. The study employs unit root test, cointegration test, vector error correction estimates, and Innovation Accounting (impulse response test).

A Johansen-Juselius cointegration test indicates a positive long run relationship between the Chinese stock price index and exchange rate, and a negative long run relationship with the gross domestic product, and M2 money supply. An estimated vector error correction model (VECM) suggests significant unidirectional short run causal relationships between Chinese stock market returns and money supply but not for inflation. The VECM also finds a significant long run causal relationship among the macroeconomic variables in the system. The estimated speed of adjustment indicates that the Chinese stock market converges to the equilibrium within half a year.

Impulse response function analysis shows no significant relationship between China stock market returns and the macroeconomic variables. Forecast error variance decompositions suggest that 76% of the variation in Chinese stock market returns is attributable to its own shock, which implies that Chinese stock market returns are relatively independent of the macroeconomic variables in the system.

Keywords: Stock Prices, Macroeconomic Variables, Cointegration, Innovation Accounting, China.

JEL Classification: G15, E44, C58, O53

DOI: 10.7176/RJFA/12-6-02

Publication date:March 31^st 2021