IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/phsmap/v386y2007i1p267-282.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A postcard from the past: The behavior of U.S. stock markets during 1871–1938

Author

Listed:
  • Fernandez, Viviana

Abstract

In this article, we study the behavior of the stock prices of a subset of eight U.S. industries from the late 1800's to the Great Depression. In particular, we focus on the potential presence of volatility shifts, the persistence of volatility, and on the degree of co-movement of stock returns prior to and during the Great Depression. Our findings show that stock markets became particularly volatile toward the mid 1930's, but that the persistence of volatility tended to decrease around the same time period. In that regard, we find little evidence that such behavior is driven by trading volume. In addition, we conclude that the overall correlation across the different industries was relatively more significant in statistical terms from 1921 to part of the Great Depression (1929–1931; 1933–1934 and 1936).

Suggested Citation

  • Fernandez, Viviana, 2007. "A postcard from the past: The behavior of U.S. stock markets during 1871–1938," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 386(1), pages 267-282.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:386:y:2007:i:1:p:267-282
    DOI: 10.1016/j.physa.2007.08.037
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378437107009430
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only. Journal offers the option of making the article available online on Science direct for a fee of $3,000

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.physa.2007.08.037?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ramsey James B. & Lampart Camille, 1998. "The Decomposition of Economic Relationships by Time Scale Using Wavelets: Expenditure and Income," Studies in Nonlinear Dynamics & Econometrics, De Gruyter, vol. 3(1), pages 1-22, April.
    2. Aggarwal, Reena & Inclan, Carla & Leal, Ricardo, 1999. "Volatility in Emerging Stock Markets," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 34(1), pages 33-55, March.
    3. Lin Shinn-Juh & Stevenson Maxwell, 2001. "Wavelet Analysis of the Cost-of-Carry Model," Studies in Nonlinear Dynamics & Econometrics, De Gruyter, vol. 5(1), pages 1-17, April.
    4. Viviana Fernandez, 2007. "Stock Market Turmoil: Worldwide Effects of Middle East Conflicts," Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(3), pages 58-102, June.
    5. Fernandez Viviana P, 2005. "The International CAPM and a Wavelet-Based Decomposition of Value at Risk," Studies in Nonlinear Dynamics & Econometrics, De Gruyter, vol. 9(4), pages 1-37, December.
    6. Karuppiah, Jeyanthi & Los, Cornelis A., 2005. "Wavelet multiresolution analysis of high-frequency Asian FX rates, Summer 1997," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 14(2), pages 211-246.
    7. Kyaw, NyoNyo A. & Los, Cornelis A. & Zong, Sijing, 2006. "Persistence characteristics of Latin American financial markets," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 16(3), pages 269-290, July.
    8. Clark, Peter K, 1973. "A Subordinated Stochastic Process Model with Finite Variance for Speculative Prices," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 41(1), pages 135-155, January.
    9. Fernandez, Viviana, 2006. "The CAPM and value at risk at different time-scales," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 15(3), pages 203-219.
    10. Tauchen, George E & Pitts, Mark, 1983. "The Price Variability-Volume Relationship on Speculative Markets," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 51(2), pages 485-505, March.
    11. Gençay, Ramazan & Selçuk, Faruk & Whitcher, Brandon, 2001. "Differentiating intraday seasonalities through wavelet multi-scaling," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 289(3), pages 543-556.
    12. Ramazan Genay & Faruk Seļuk & Brandon Whitcher, 2003. "Systematic risk and timescales," Quantitative Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 3(2), pages 108-116.
    13. Ramsey, James B. & Lampart, Camille, 1998. "Decomposition Of Economic Relationships By Timescale Using Wavelets," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 2(1), pages 49-71, March.
    14. Ramsey, J.B., 2002. "Wavelets in Economics and Finance: Past and Future," Working Papers 02-02, C.V. Starr Center for Applied Economics, New York University.
    15. Gencay, Ramazan & Selcuk, Faruk & Whitcher, Brandon, 2005. "Multiscale systematic risk," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 24(1), pages 55-70, February.
    16. Connor Jeff & Rossiter Rosemary, 2005. "Wavelet Transforms and Commodity Prices," Studies in Nonlinear Dynamics & Econometrics, De Gruyter, vol. 9(1), pages 1-22, March.
    17. Francis In & Sangbae Kim, 2006. "The Hedge Ratio and the Empirical Relationship between the Stock and Futures Markets: A New Approach Using Wavelet Analysis," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 79(2), pages 799-820, March.
    18. Ser-Huang Poon & Clive W.J. Granger, 2003. "Forecasting Volatility in Financial Markets: A Review," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 41(2), pages 478-539, June.
    19. Fernandez, Viviana & Lucey, Brian M., 2007. "Portfolio management under sudden changes in volatility and heterogeneous investment horizons," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 375(2), pages 612-624.
    20. Ramsey James B., 2002. "Wavelets in Economics and Finance: Past and Future," Studies in Nonlinear Dynamics & Econometrics, De Gruyter, vol. 6(3), pages 1-29, November.
    21. Fernandez, Viviana, 2006. "The impact of major global events on volatility shifts: Evidence from the Asian crisis and 9/11," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 79-97, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Fernandez, Viviana, 2010. "Commodity futures and market efficiency: A fractional integrated approach," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(4), pages 276-282, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fernandez, Viviana, 2008. "The war on terror and its impact on the long-term volatility of financial markets," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 17(1), pages 1-26.
    2. Fernandez, Viviana, 2009. "The behavior of stock returns in the mining industry following the Iraq war," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 23(3), pages 274-292, September.
    3. Viviana Fernández, 2007. "The behavior of stock returns in the Asia-Pacific mining industry following the Iraq war," Documentos de Trabajo 243, Centro de Economía Aplicada, Universidad de Chile.
    4. Corbet, Shaen & Gurdgiev, Constantin & Meegan, Andrew, 2018. "Long-term stock market volatility and the influence of terrorist attacks in Europe," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 118-131.
    5. Masih, Mansur & Alzahrani, Mohammed & Al-Titi, Omar, 2010. "Systematic risk and time scales: New evidence from an application of wavelet approach to the emerging Gulf stock markets," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 19(1), pages 10-18, January.
    6. Fernandez, Viviana, 2006. "The impact of major global events on volatility shifts: Evidence from the Asian crisis and 9/11," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 79-97, March.
    7. Fernandez, Viviana & Lucey, Brian M., 2007. "Portfolio management under sudden changes in volatility and heterogeneous investment horizons," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 375(2), pages 612-624.
    8. Francis In & Sangbae Kim, 2012. "An Introduction to Wavelet Theory in Finance:A Wavelet Multiscale Approach," World Scientific Books, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., number 8431, January.
    9. Fernandez, Viviana, 2006. "The CAPM and value at risk at different time-scales," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 15(3), pages 203-219.
    10. Fernandez, Viviana, 2006. "Does domestic cooperation lead to business-cycle convergence and financial linkages?," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 46(3), pages 369-396, July.
    11. Rua, António & Nunes, Luis C., 2012. "A wavelet-based assessment of market risk: The emerging markets case," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 52(1), pages 84-92.
    12. Atilla Cifter & Alper Ozun, 2008. "Multiscale Systematic Risk: an Application on the ISE-30," Istanbul Stock Exchange Review, Research and Business Development Department, Borsa Istanbul, vol. 10(38), pages 1-24.
    13. Liu, Xiaoquan & Cao, Yi & Ma, Chenghu & Shen, Liya, 2019. "Wavelet-based option pricing: An empirical study," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 272(3), pages 1132-1142.
    14. Viviana Fernandez, 2007. "Stock Market Turmoil: Worldwide Effects of Middle East Conflicts," Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(3), pages 58-102, June.
    15. Xiaojie Xu, 2018. "Causal structure among US corn futures and regional cash prices in the time and frequency domain," Journal of Applied Statistics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(13), pages 2455-2480, October.
    16. Viviana Fernandez, 2008. "Traditional versus novel forecasting techniques: how much do we gain?," Journal of Forecasting, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(7), pages 637-648.
    17. Chakrabarty, Anindya & De, Anupam & Gunasekaran, Angappa & Dubey, Rameshwar, 2015. "Investment horizon heterogeneity and wavelet: Overview and further research directions," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 429(C), pages 45-61.
    18. Hassan Farazmand & Amin Mansouri & Morteza Afghah, 2014. "Choosing the best type of wavelet: Case study-business cycle in Iran," Asian Journal of Empirical Research, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 4(5), pages 293-314, May.
    19. Haven, Emmanuel & Liu, Xiaoquan & Shen, Liya, 2012. "De-noising option prices with the wavelet method," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 222(1), pages 104-112.
    20. Fernandez Viviana P, 2005. "The International CAPM and a Wavelet-Based Decomposition of Value at Risk," Studies in Nonlinear Dynamics & Econometrics, De Gruyter, vol. 9(4), pages 1-37, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:386:y:2007:i:1:p:267-282. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/physica-a-statistical-mechpplications/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.