Investigating Volatility in Saudi Arabia Crude Oil Prices and its impact on oil Stock Market

This study is the evidence of a research that was carried out to investigate the impact of oil price volatility on oil stock markets in the context of Saudi Arabia.  Prior studies have measured the impact of crude oil price (COP) volatility on stock market performance but not much attention has been paid on Saudi Arabia. This study was an attempt to fill this research gap by finding any linkages between crude oil price and Saudi stock market performance. The study also aimed to identify such structural changes in the crude oil market during a given time period caused by varying factors such as old and new financial investors, emergence of new markets, socio-political events and fluctuation in demand-supply ratios causing changes in the crude oil price significantly. Often it has been observed that when new participants enter the oil market, there are structural changes in the process of crude oil price setting, much similar to the process in any kind of financial markets. The role of OPEC in setting oil prices shall also be studied during the course of this study. Prior studies have revealed that lack of OPEC spare capacity has caused serious large imbalances in the crude oil prices worldwide as OPEC historically has been a major policy maker on the supply side.  In order to carry out such a study, different models/ methods can be used including Markov Regime Switch Method and GARCH and Granger Causality Method. However, the choice of model will depend on properties/ variables. Keywords: Oil Price, demand supply ratios, Volatility, Stock Market JEL Classifications: E39, J20, R5

The Threat of COVID-19 and Job Insecurity Impact on Depression and Anxiety: An Empirical Study in the USA

In this study, we conceptualized a framework capturing recurring troublesome elements of mental states such as depression and general anxiety, assessing them by applying standard clinical inventory. The study explores the extent to which danger control and fear control under the Extended Parallel Processing Model (EPPM) threat impact job insecurity, with uncertainty phenomenon causing afflicting effect on the experiential nature of depression heightened by anxiety. With the aim to explore the job insecurity relationship with anxiety and depression, and measure the impact of EPPM threat, an empirical study was conducted in the United States on a sample of 347 white collar employees. Demographic data, EPPM threat, job insecurity, anxiety, and depression data were collected via a standardized questionnaire during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The findings of the study suggest that job insecurity has a significant impact on depression and anxiety, whereas the threat of COVID-19 has a significant impact on depression. Mediating effects of job insecurity and EPPM threat impact on anxiety were not established in the study. The study contributes to the apprehension of the repercussions of major environmental disruptions on normal human functioning, and it investigates the effects of self-reported protective behaviors on risk perception. The study also explains the underlying mechanisms of coping behavior as possible antecedents to mental disorders. When subjected to stressful events, heightened psychological arousal causes physical and psychological challenges of affected employees to manifest as behavioral issues