Does Compliance with Basel Core Principles Bring Any Measurable Benefits?

We explore the relationship between banking sector performance and the quality of regulation and supervision as measured by compliance with the Basel Core Principles for Effective Banking Supervision (BCP). Using BCP assessment results for 65 countries and 1998-2002 panel data for other variables, we find a significant positive impact of higher compliance with BCP on banking sector performance, as measured by nonperforming loans and net interest margin, after controlling for the level of development of the economy and the financial system and macroeconomic and structural factors. Copyright 2006, International Monetary Fund

International Cross-Listing: The Effects of Market Fragmentation and Information Flows

We investigate the effects of market fragmentation and information flows in the case of stocks cross-listed on markets in Central Europe and London. First, we test for co-movement, interaction and error correction behavior between the local and London markets. Our results suggest that strong interactions exist between these markets, with the London market being slightly more important than the local one. The two prices of cross-listed stocks are cointegrated and pricing errors are corrected over a few days. These interactions suggest partial fragmentation. Second, we extend an earlier model to examine the impact of foreign listing on the variance of local returns. The focus of previous studies has concentrated almost exclusively on the return of cross-listed securities. The variance of returns has remained mostly unnoticed, even though some studies noted an increase of variance after the cross- listing. In our model, we introduce a new factor that influences return variance: tighter interaction with foreign markets as a consequence of cross-listing. Estimation results lend support to our model.cross-listing, information flow, order flow, return variance, market fragmentation

Is One Watchdog Better than Three? International Experience with Integrated Financial-Sector Supervision (in English)

Over the past two decades, there has been a clear trend toward integrating the regulation and supervision of banks, nonbank financial institutions, and securities markets. This paper reviews the international experience with integrated supervision. The authors survey the theoretical arguments for and against the integrated supervisory model, and use data on compliance with international standards to assess the validity of some of these arguments. The find that (i) integration is associated with a higher quality of supervision in insurance and securities and a higher consistency of supervision across sectors, after controlling for level of development; and (ii) integrated supervision is not associated with a significant reduction in supervisory staff.financial sector, financial-services regulation, integrated supervision, prudential supervision, supervisory agencies

European Union enlargement and equity markets in accession countries

The announcement of European Union enlargement coincided with a dramatic rise in stock prices in accession countries. This paper investigates the hypothesis that the rise in stock prices was a result of the repricing of systematic risk due to the integration of accession countries into the world market. We find that firm-level stock price changes are positively related to the difference between a firm’s local and world market betas. This result is robust to controlling for changes in expected earnings, country effects and other controls, although the magnitude of the effect is not very large. The differences between local and world betas explain nearly 22% of the stock price increase. JEL Classification: F36, G15, G12asset pricing, EU enlargement, international financial integration

Interactions between Markets and Dually Listed Stocks: The Case of the Czech Republic

This paper considers the interaction among equity markets in the Czech Republic and those in developed countries. Also considered are cross-listed securities traded in the Czech Republic whose global depository receipts (GDRs) are listed in London. The models used include Granger causality, cointegration, and error-correction models. The results demonstrate that the Czech market is indeed affected by the development of major international equity indices. This, however, explains little of domestic market variability, so other factors related to stock market development need to be explicated. The prices of cross-listed securities on the domestic and London markets are cointegrated and an error-correction mechanism exists that corrects random deviations from the parity. As this error-correction mechanism appears to be rather symmetric, and as the Granger causality tests suggest different causality patterns for individual stocks, none of the two markets emerges as the dominant one. A variety of interactions exist between the local and London GDR markets.equity indices; causality; cointegration; cross-listed stocks

Efficiency of Financial Markets in Transition: The Case of Macroeconomic Releases

This paper contributes to the discussion on the efficiency of newly emerged financial markets in transition economies. We use data on one of the most developed financial markets in transition, the Czech Republic, to investigate financial market efficiency by examining the reaction to macroeconomic releases. Direct measure of market expectations, that is, survey data, is used to form a proxy for market expectations. The reactions of interest rates, bond yields, exchange rates, and the stock market index are explored. We found that, despite the fact that the survey data appear to reasonably approximate rational expectations, the Czech market lacks basic efficiency properties. It reacts to the expected part of the news announcement, and the adjustment is stretched over a period of several days. In the case of CPI, we found evidence suggesting that the efficiency of the market improves over time.Market efficiency, Emerging markets, Market response, Macroeconomic release

Efficiency of Financial Markets in Transition: The Case of Macroeconomic Releases

This paper contributes to the discussion on the efficiency of newly emerged financial markets in transition economies. We use data on one of the most developed financial markets in transition, the Czech Republic, to investigate financial market efficiency by examining the reaction to macroeconomic releases. Direct measure of market expectations, that is, survey data, is used to form a proxy for market expectations. The reactions of interest rates, bond yields, exchange rates, and the stock market index are explored. We found that, despite the fact that the survey data appear to reasonably approximate rational expectations, the Czech market lacks basic efficiency properties. It reacts to the expected part of the news announcement, and the adjustment is stretched over a period of several days. In the case of CPI, we found evidence suggesting that the efficiency of the market improves over time.market efficiency; emerging markets; market response; macroeconomic release

The Czech Investment Fund Industry: Development and Behaviour

http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/39412/3/wp22.pd