Dynamics of Equity Market Integration in Europe: Evidence of Changes over time and with events.

Abstract

This paper examines the integration of European equity markets over the 1985-2002 period using a relatively new cointegrating technique that assesses how the level of integration in equity price levels changes over time. This procedure is supplemented by two other dynamic techniques that also measure the extent of time-varying integration from complementary perspectives. The three methods are in agreement that there has been an increased degree of integration among European equity markets especially during the 1997-98 period. This evidence seems to indicate that despite several years of demonstrating political willingness by European leaders to integrate their economies, it was not until the establishment of the EMU and the ECB during the 1997-98 period that the markets deemed that European integration would in fact occur. The evidence presented in this study also indicates that Frankfurt is the dominant market for equities in Europe.