Geopolitical risk and global capital flows: Evidence from developed and emerging markets

This study uses unbalanced panel data from 43 developed and emerging market economies from 1985 to 2021 to examine the different effects of geopolitical risks on cross border capital flows. The findings reveal the following: First, developed economies are largely insulated from geopolitical shocks and exhibit a statistically significant risk aversion effect only in the low tail of the capital flow distribution, primarily preventing severe capital outflows during turbulent periods. Second, emerging and developing economies experience sharp declines in FDI and significant increases in FPI when geopolitical risks rise, reflecting speculative hot money seeking risk premiums rather than fundamentals driven capital. Third, a structural break analysis reveals that the 2008 financial crisis shifted global capital logics, causing mature economies to lose their immunity to FDI withdrawals while emerging markets increasingly attract FDI through supply chain restructuring. Fourth, heterogeneity analysis shows that higher FinTech penetration in emerging markets unexpectedly increases the negative effect of geopolitical risks on FDI by lowering withdrawal costs, whereas capital account restrictions mitigate these declines. These findings underscore how geopolitical fragmentation reshapes the composition of global finance, suppressing productive capital and fueling speculative volatility.