IMF Working Papers

What Drives Stock Market Development in the Middle East and Central Asia—Institutions, Remittances, or Natural Resources?

By Andreas Billmeier, Isabella Massa

July 1, 2007

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Andreas Billmeier, and Isabella Massa. What Drives Stock Market Development in the Middle East and Central Asia—Institutions, Remittances, or Natural Resources?, (USA: International Monetary Fund, 2007) accessed November 24, 2024
Disclaimer: This Working Paper should not be reported as representing the views of the IMF.The views expressed in this Working Paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the IMF or IMF policy. Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to further debate

Summary

In this paper, we assess the macroeconomic determinants of stock market capitalization in a panel of 17 countries in the Middle East and Central Asia, including both hydrocarbon-rich countries and economies without sizeable natural resource wealth. In addition to traditional variables, we include an institutional variable and remittances among the regressors. We find that (i) both institutions and remittances have a positive and significant impact on market capitalization; and (ii) both regressors matter, especially in countries without significant hydrocarbon sectors; whereas (iii) in resource-rich countries, stock market capitalization is mainly driven by the oil price.

Subject: Financial sector development, Market capitalization, Oil prices, Remittances, Stock markets

Keywords: Capitalization, Country, Economic growth, Economy, Oil country, Price, Remittance, WP

Publication Details

  • Pages:

    21

  • Volume:

    ---

  • DOI:

    ---

  • Issue:

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  • Series:

    Working Paper No. 2007/157

  • Stock No:

    WPIEA2007157

  • ISBN:

    9781451867213

  • ISSN:

    1018-5941