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The Role of Economic Uncertainty in UK Stock Returns

Author

Listed:
  • Jun Gao

    (Cork University Business School and Centre for Investment Research, University College Cork, Cork T12YN60, Ireland)

  • Sheng Zhu

    (Cork University Business School and Centre for Investment Research, University College Cork, Cork T12YN60, Ireland)

  • Niall O’Sullivan

    (Cork University Business School and Centre for Investment Research, University College Cork, Cork T12YN60, Ireland)

  • Meadhbh Sherman

    (Cork University Business School and Centre for Investment Research, University College Cork, Cork T12YN60, Ireland)

Abstract

We investigated the role of domestic and international economic uncertainty in the cross-sectional pricing of UK stocks. We considered a broad range of financial market variables in measuring financial conditions to obtain a better estimate of macroeconomic uncertainty compared to previous literature. In contrast to many earlier studies using conventional principal component analysis to estimate economic uncertainty, we constructed new economic activity and inflation uncertainty indices for the UK using a time-varying parameter factor-augmented vector autoregressive (TVP-FAVAR) model. We then estimated stock sensitivity to a range of macroeconomic uncertainty indices and economic policy uncertainty indices. The evidence suggests that economic activity uncertainty and UK economic policy uncertainty have power in explaining the cross-section of UK stock returns, while UK inflation, EU economic policy and US economic policy uncertainty factors are not priced in stock returns for the UK.

Suggested Citation

  • Jun Gao & Sheng Zhu & Niall O’Sullivan & Meadhbh Sherman, 2019. "The Role of Economic Uncertainty in UK Stock Returns," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-16, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jjrfmx:v:12:y:2019:i:1:p:5-:d:194836
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Tihana Škrinjarić & Zrinka Orlović, 2020. "Economic Policy Uncertainty and Stock Market Spillovers: Case of Selected CEE Markets," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 8(7), pages 1-33, July.
    3. Aviral Kumar Tiwari & Micheal Kofi Boachie & Rangan Gupta, 2021. "Network Analysis of Economic and Financial Uncertainties in Advanced Economies: Evidence from Graph-Theory," Advances in Decision Sciences, Asia University, Taiwan, vol. 25(1), pages 188-215, March.
    4. Lee, Kiryoung, 2022. "Which uncertainty measures matter for the cross-section of corporate bond returns? Evidence from the U.S. during 1973–2020," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 48(C).
    5. Chen, Wen-Yi & Chen, Mei-Ping, 2022. "Twitter’s daily happiness sentiment, economic policy uncertainty, and stock index fluctuations," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    6. Helseth, Marius Aleksander Emblem & Krakstad, Svein Olav & Molnár, Peter & Norlin, Karl-Martin, 2020. "Can policy and financial risk predict stock markets?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 176(C), pages 701-719.
    7. Zhu, Sheng & Gao, Jun & Sherman, Meadhbh, 2020. "The role of future economic conditions in the cross-section of stock returns: Evidence from the US and UK," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    8. Cristiane Gea & Marcelo Cabus Klotzle & Luciano Vereda & Antonio Carlos Figueiredo Pinto, 2023. "Pricing uncertainty in the Brazilian stock market: do size and sustainability matter?," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 1-37, January.
    9. Aviral Kumar Tiwari & Micheal Kofi Boachie & Rangan Gupta, 2021. "Network Analysis of Economic and Financial Uncertainties in Advanced Economies: Evidence from Graph-Theory," Advances in Decision Sciences, Asia University, Taiwan, vol. 25(1), pages 188-215, March.

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