IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jimfin/v156y2025ics0261560625000919.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Economic policy uncertainty and foreign exchange market implied volatility: A complex partial wavelet coherence approach

Author

Listed:
  • Yang, Lu

Abstract

This paper explores the interdependence between economic policy uncertainty (EPU) and foreign exchange implied volatility (FXV) across advanced, European, and emerging (BRICS) markets since 2000 by using a complex partial wavelet coherence approach. The findings indicate that both domestic and US EPUs directly enhance the implied volatility of several currencies across different timescales. In general, the interdependence between EPU and FXV is weak at short-term scales but strengthens over longer timescales. In developed and European markets, substantial evidence indicates that both domestic and US EPUs elevate currency implied volatility, particularly at long-term scales and during periods of extreme market conditions. Among BRICS countries, China alone shows similar patterns. These results imply that EPU can adversely impact the economic performance of more financially integrated developed economies.

Suggested Citation

  • Yang, Lu, 2025. "Economic policy uncertainty and foreign exchange market implied volatility: A complex partial wavelet coherence approach," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:jimfin:v:156:y:2025:i:c:s0261560625000919
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jimonfin.2025.103356
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261560625000919
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jimonfin.2025.103356?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

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Diebold, Francis X. & Yılmaz, Kamil, 2014. "On the network topology of variance decompositions: Measuring the connectedness of financial firms," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 182(1), pages 119-134.
    2. Pástor, Ľuboš & Veronesi, Pietro, 2013. "Political uncertainty and risk premia," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 110(3), pages 520-545.
    3. Al-Yahyaee, Khamis Hamed & Shahzad, Syed Jawad Hussain & Mensi, Walid, 2020. "Tail dependence structures between economic policy uncertainty and foreign exchange markets: Nonparametric quantiles methods," International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 66-82.
    4. Nengjiu Ju & Jianjun Miao, 2012. "Ambiguity, Learning, and Asset Returns," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 80(2), pages 559-591, March.
    5. Ornelas, José Renato Haas & Mauad, Roberto Baltieri, 2019. "Implied volatility term structure and exchange rate predictability," International Journal of Forecasting, Elsevier, vol. 35(4), pages 1800-1813.
    6. Feng, Gen-Fu & Yang, Hao-Chang & Gong, Qiang & Chang, Chun-Ping, 2021. "What is the exchange rate volatility response to COVID-19 and government interventions?," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 705-719.
    7. Goodell, John W. & McGee, Richard J. & McGroarty, Frank, 2020. "Election uncertainty, economic policy uncertainty and financial market uncertainty: A prediction market analysis," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    8. Satish Kumar & Rajesh Pathak & Aviral Kumar Tiwari & Seong-Min Yoon, 2017. "Are exchange rates interdependent? Evidence using wavelet analysis," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(33), pages 3231-3245, July.
    9. Cheung, Yin-Wong & Chinn, Menzie & Garcia Pascual, Antonio, 2003. "Empirical Exchange Rate Models of the Nineties: Are Any Fit to Survive?," Santa Cruz Center for International Economics, Working Paper Series qt5fc508pt, Center for International Economics, UC Santa Cruz.
    10. Beckmann, Joscha & Czudaj, Robert, 2017. "Exchange rate expectations and economic policy uncertainty," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 148-162.
    11. Bubák, Vít & Kocenda, Evzen & Zikes, Filip, 2011. "Volatility transmission in emerging European foreign exchange markets," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(11), pages 2829-2841, November.
    12. Dinh, Theu & Goutte, Stéphane & Nguyen, Duc Khuong & Walther, Thomas, 2022. "Economic drivers of volatility and correlation in precious metal markets," Journal of Commodity Markets, Elsevier, vol. 28(C).
    13. Cheung, Yin-Wong & Chinn, Menzie David & Garcia Pascual, Antonio, 2003. "Empirical Exchange Rate Models of the Nineties: Are Any Fit to Survive?," Santa Cruz Department of Economics, Working Paper Series qt12z9x4c5, Department of Economics, UC Santa Cruz.
    14. Lei, Adrian C.H. & Song, Chen, 2022. "Economic policy uncertainty and stock market activity: Evidence from China," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    15. Białkowski, Jędrzej & Dang, Huong Dieu & Wei, Xiaopeng, 2022. "High policy uncertainty and low implied market volatility: An academic puzzle?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(3), pages 1185-1208.
    16. Huynh, Toan Luu Duc & Nasir, Muhammad Ali & Nguyen, Duc Khuong, 2023. "Spillovers and connectedness in foreign exchange markets: The role of trade policy uncertainty," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 191-199.
    17. Yang, Lu, 2019. "Connectedness of economic policy uncertainty and oil price shocks in a time domain perspective," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 219-233.
    18. Yang, Lu & Cai, Xiao Jing & Zhang, Huimin & Hamori, Shigeyuki, 2016. "Interdependence of foreign exchange markets: A wavelet coherence analysis," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 6-14.
    19. Nobuhiro Kiyotaki & John Moore, 2019. "Liquidity, Business Cycles, and Monetary Policy," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 127(6), pages 2926-2966.
    20. Zhe Ma & Lu Yang, 2024. "Revisiting The €Œpure†Oil-Exchange Co-Movement From A Time-Domain Perspective," The Singapore Economic Review (SER), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 69(01), pages 183-202, March.
    21. Wang, Jian, 2010. "Home bias, exchange rate disconnect, and optimal exchange rate policy," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 55-78, February.
    22. Yang, Lu & Hamori, Shigeyuki, 2021. "Systemic risk and economic policy uncertainty: International evidence from the crude oil market," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 142-158.
    23. Christopher Thiem, 2020. "Cross-Category, Trans-Pacific Spillovers of Policy Uncertainty and Financial Market Volatility," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 31(2), pages 317-342, April.
    24. Tian, Shuairu & Gao, Xiang & Cai, Xiaojing, 2023. "The interactive CNY-CNH relationship: A wavelet analysis," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    25. Fidora, Michael & Fratzscher, Marcel & Thimann, Christian, 2007. "Home bias in global bond and equity markets: The role of real exchange rate volatility," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 26(4), pages 631-655, June.
    26. Robert Krol, 2014. "Economic Policy Uncertainty and Exchange Rate Volatility," International Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 17(2), pages 241-256, June.
    27. Bartsch, Zachary, 2019. "Economic policy uncertainty and dollar-pound exchange rate return volatility," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 1-1.
    28. Cukierman, Alex & Meltzer, Allan H, 1986. "A Theory of Ambiguity, Credibility, and Inflation under Discretion and Asymmetric Information," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 54(5), pages 1099-1128, September.
    29. Gong, Yuting & Li, Xiao & Xue, Wenjun, 2023. "The impact of EPU spillovers on the bond market volatility: Global evidence," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 55(PB).
    30. Chen, Shiu-Sheng & Chou, Yu-Hsi, 2015. "Revisiting the relationship between exchange rates and fundamentals," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 1-22.
    31. Cheung, Yin-Wong & Chinn, Menzie D. & Pascual, Antonio Garcia, 2005. "Empirical exchange rate models of the nineties: Are any fit to survive?," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 24(7), pages 1150-1175, November.
    32. Qingsong Ruan & Jiarui Zhang & Dayong Lv, 2024. "Forecasting exchange rate volatility: is economic policy uncertainty better?," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 56(13), pages 1526-1544, March.
    33. Lu Yang & Lei Yang & Xue Cui, 2023. "Sovereign default network and currency risk premia," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 9(1), pages 1-22, December.
    34. Chen, Liming & Du, Ziqing & Hu, Zhihao, 2020. "Impact of economic policy uncertainty on exchange rate volatility of China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 32(C).
    35. Plíhal, Tomáš & Lyócsa, Štefan, 2021. "Modeling realized volatility of the EUR/USD exchange rate: Does implied volatility really matter?," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 811-829.
    36. Saba Qureshi & Muhammad Aftab, 2023. "Exchange Rate Interdependence in ASEAN Markets: A Wavelet Analysis," Global Business Review, International Management Institute, vol. 24(6), pages 1180-1204, December.
    37. Kyophilavong, Phouphet & Abakah, Emmanuel Joel Aikins & Tiwari, Aviral Kumar, 2023. "Cross-spectral coherence and co-movement between WTI oil price and exchange rate of Thai Baht," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    38. LI, Yang & Luo, Jingqiu & Jiang, Yongmu, 2021. "Policy uncertainty spillovers and financial risk contagion in the Asia-Pacific network," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    39. Cheung, Yin-Wong & Chinn, Menzie & Garcia Pascual, Antonio, 2003. "Empirical Exchange Rate Models of the Nineties: Are Any Fit to Survive?," Santa Cruz Department of Economics, Working Paper Series qt5fc508pt, Department of Economics, UC Santa Cruz.
    40. Muhammad Akbar, 2023. "Effects of inflation uncertainty and exchange rate volatility on money demand in Pakistan: Bayesian econometric analysis," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(2), pages 1470-1487, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Abid, Abir, 2020. "Economic policy uncertainty and exchange rates in emerging markets: Short and long runs evidence," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 37(C).
    2. Bush, Georgia & López Noria, Gabriela, 2021. "Uncertainty and exchange rate volatility: Evidence from Mexico," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 704-722.
    3. Bartsch, Zachary, 2019. "Economic policy uncertainty and dollar-pound exchange rate return volatility," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 1-1.
    4. Fasanya, Ismail O. & Adekoya, Oluwasegun B. & Adetokunbo, Abiodun M., 2021. "On the connection between oil and global foreign exchange markets: The role of economic policy uncertainty," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    5. Pham, Son Duy & Nguyen, Thao Thac Thanh & Li, Xiao-Ming, 2024. "Stabilizing global foreign exchange markets in the time of COVID-19: The role of vaccinations," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    6. Lu Yang, 2025. "From Economic Policy Uncertainty to Implied Market Volatility: Nothing to Fear?," Journal of Futures Markets, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 45(2), pages 143-157, February.
    7. Gong, Yuting & He, Zhongzhi & Xue, Wenjun, 2025. "EPU spillovers and exchange rate volatility," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    8. Yin, Libo & Su, Zhi & Lu, Man, 2022. "Is oil risk important for commodity-related currency returns?," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    9. Khyati Kathuria & Nand Kumar, 2022. "Pandemic‐induced fear and government policy response as a measure of uncertainty in the foreign exchange market: Evidence from (a)symmetric wild bootstrap likelihood ratio test," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(4), pages 361-379, October.
    10. Abir Abid & Christophe Rault, 2021. "On the Exchange Rates Volatility and Economic Policy Uncertainty Nexus: A Panel VAR Approach for Emerging Markets," Journal of Quantitative Economics, Springer;The Indian Econometric Society (TIES), vol. 19(3), pages 403-425, September.
    11. Albrecht, Peter & Kočenda, Evžen, 2024. "Volatility connectedness on the central European forex markets," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    12. Iregui, Ana María & Núñez, Héctor M. & Otero, Jesús, 2021. "Testing the efficiency of inflation and exchange rate forecast revisions in a changing economic environment," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 187(C), pages 290-314.
    13. Engel, Charles, 2014. "Exchange Rates and Interest Parity," Handbook of International Economics, in: Gopinath, G. & Helpman, . & Rogoff, K. (ed.), Handbook of International Economics, edition 1, volume 4, chapter 0, pages 453-522, Elsevier.
    14. Xie, Zixiong & Chen, Shyh-Wei, 2019. "Exchange rates and fundamentals: A bootstrap panel data analysis," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 209-224.
    15. Davood Pirayesh Neghab & Mucahit Cevik & M. I. M. Wahab & Ayse Basar, 2025. "Explaining Exchange Rate Forecasts with Macroeconomic Fundamentals Using Interpretive Machine Learning," Computational Economics, Springer;Society for Computational Economics, vol. 65(4), pages 1857-1899, April.
    16. Abir Abid & Christophe Rault, 2020. "On the Exchange Rate and Economic Policy Uncertainty Nexus: A Panel VAR Approach for Emerging Markets," CESifo Working Paper Series 8189, CESifo.
    17. Lin Liu, 2022. "Economic Uncertainty and Exchange Market Pressure: Evidence From China," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(1), pages 21582440211, January.
    18. Liu, Zhenhua & Zhang, Huiying & Ding, Zhihua & Lv, Tao & Wang, Xu & Wang, Deqing, 2022. "When are the effects of economic policy uncertainty on oil–stock correlations larger? Evidence from a regime-switching analysis," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).
    19. Roberto Cellini & Tiziana Cuccia & Johan Lyrvall, 2023. "On the price dynamics of non-fungible tokens: The ‘Bored Apes’ case," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 18(11), pages 1-20, November.
    20. Song, Lu & Tian, Gengyu & Jiang, Yonghong, 2022. "Connectedness of commodity, exchange rate and categorical economic policy uncertainties — Evidence from China," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:jimfin:v:156:y:2025:i:c:s0261560625000919. 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.elsevier.com/locate/inca/30443 .

    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.