Hedge funds, exchange rates and causality: Evidence from Thailand and Malaysia

This article contributes to the debate on hedge funds and exchange rates in Thailand and Malaysia. It examines causal relations using a new Granger non-causality procedure proposed by Toda and Yamamoto (Journal of Econometrics, 66, 225-50, 1995). Monthly observations are utilized over a sample period from January, 1994 to April, 2002. The results show that the funds lead Thai baht for the crisis period. The results also reveal that the funds lead Malaysian ringgit for the pre-crisis period.Hedge Funds; Exchange Rates; Granger Non-Causality; Thailand; Malaysia

Finance and growth in a small open emerging market

This study contributes to the debate on financial development and economic growth in Malaysia using quarterly observations for a sample period from 1980 to 2002. It utilises a battery of financial indicators. Based on multivariate framework which takes real interest rate and capital stock into account, the findings are suggestive that finance does play a crucial role in promoting economic growth. Policymakers should, therefore, focus their attention on the creation and promotion of modern financial institutions including banks, non-banks, and stock markets in delivering both short- and long-run economic benefits.financial development; economic growth; Malaysia

Finance and growth: new evidence on the role of insurance

This paper provides new evidence that sheds light on the the impact of insurance sector development on output growth, capital accumulation, and productivity improvement, using data from 51 countries (developed and developing) during 1981-2005. The dynamic panel data analysis results demonstrate that insurance sector development affects growth predominantly through productivity improvement in developed countries, while in developing countries it promotes capital accumulation

Testing liquidity constraints in ten Asian developing countries: an error-correction model approach

An error-correction model is used to estimate the fraction of consumers who are liquidity-constrained in ten Asian developing countries. Our estimates of the fraction of consumers who are liquidity-constrained range between 0.25 and 0.98. We further investigate whether financial liberalisation has resulted in the reduction of liquidity constraints in these countries. However, the results find support for this only in the cases of South Korea, Sri Lanka and Taiwan

Finance and growth: new evidence on the role of insurance

This paper provides new evidence that sheds light on the the impact of insurance sector development on output growth, capital accumulation, and productivity improvement, using data from 51 countries (developed and developing) during 1981-2005. The dynamic panel data analysis results demonstrate that insurance sector development affects growth predominantly through productivity improvement in developed countries, while in developing countries it promotes capital accumulation

Outward foreign direct investment and domestic output: evidence from East Asian economies

This study evaluates the impact of outward foreign direct investment (FDI) on domestic output of East Asian economies. It focuses on FDI from eight East Asian economies to Japan, the United States and United Kingdom. The analyses are carried out using annual data at both aggregate and disaggregate level for the 1981-2010 period. The result using aggregate data reveal that there is no evidence to support the idea that outward FDI is growth-enhancing. However, the results based on disaggregate data shows that only outward FDI to the United States are found to benefit East Asian economies. Meanwhile, investments in Japan and the United Kingdom do not appear to have any positive impact. These findings suggest that locational decision for outward FDI is critically important as not all destinations will bring positive benefits for the source countries

The Quality of Institutions and Financial Development

Using banking sector and stock market development indicators, we explore the importance of a wide range of institutional quality variables as sources of financial development. The empirical results based on the dynamic panel system GMM estimations demonstrate that a high-quality institutional environment has positive effect on financial development. However, some institutional aspects matter more than others do. Particularly, the rule of law, political stability and government effectiveness play a vital role in influencing banking sector development. The findings also suggest that regulatory quality does contribute to financial development but only when a threshold level of regulatory quality development has been attained, a condition which is more prevalent among low-income countries, than among the entire set of countries. In terms of policy implication, the findings suggest that improving institutional infrastructure and identifying the beneficial aspects of particular institutions, would encourage the development of financial markets

A cointegration analysis of crude palm oil price in Thailand

Reliazing the pass-through effects of global commodity prices on domestic prices, this study develops a vector error correction model (VECM) to test for the determinants and direction of causality between global prices and crude palm oil (CPO) price in Thailand. Malaysian crude palm oil, world soybean oil and world crude oil prices were investigated as factors affecting the Thai CPO price. Using the Johansen cointegration test, the result unveils a presence of long-run relationship among the determinants. This long-run relationship, proposes that CPO price flows in Thailand are positively influenced by the Malaysian CPO price and the error correction term suggests that approximately 35 percent of total disequilibrium in Thai CPO price was corrected in the following month. Moreover, the findings show Granger causality from each of the Malaysian CPO price and the world soybean oil price for the Thai CPO price. Information flow regarding the price movements of the Malaysian CPO and soybean oil affect the Thai CPO price and vice-versa. Whereas, the evidence for a causal relationship that runs from the world crude oil price to the Thai CPO price is found, but not in reverse

Asymmetric adjustments in the Thai palm oil market

Drastic movements of global commodity prices and their impact on the Thai palm oil market is a major concern due to Thailand being the third largest producer of crude palm oil (CPO). Although the country is not a net importer, global price changes of the commodity can transmit to domestic markets for palm oil products. This paper analyzed the transmission of Malaysian CPO and world crude oil price changes to the changes in the Thai CPO price using an asymmetric error correction model. The price data used in this paper covers the period from January 1996 to September 2015. The findings showed that the speed of adjustments towards long-run equilibrium were asymmetric and the effects of the world prices on Thai CPO price were significant in both positive and negative deviations. This result calls for policy measures to mitigate the impact of global price movements because CPO is an essential intermediate input in various products and any changes in the Thai CPO price definitely affects the welfare of domestic consumers

Finance and growth in a small open emerging market

This study contributes to the debate on financial development and economic growth in Malaysia using quarterly observations for a sample period from 1980 to 2002. It utilises a battery of financial indicators. Based on multivariate framework which takes real interest rate and capital stock into account, the findings are suggestive that finance does play a crucial role in promoting economic growth. Policymakers should, therefore, focus their attention on the creation and promotion of modern financial institutions including banks, non-banks, and stock markets in delivering both short- and long-run economic benefits