IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/hal/journl/hal-03885614.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Are Strategies for International Diversification by Country, Industry and Region Equivalent?

Author

Listed:
  • Rachid Ghilal

    (UQAR - Université du Québec à Rimouski)

  • Ahmed Marhfor

    (UQAT - Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue)

  • M'Zali Bouchra

    (UQAM - Université du Québec à Montréal = University of Québec in Montréal)

  • Jean Jacques Lilti

    (CREM - Centre de recherche en économie et management - UNICAEN - Université de Caen Normandie - NU - Normandie Université - UR - Université de Rennes - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

In this study, we examine whether international portfolio diversification still matters despite an increase in the cross-country correlations of assets returns. More specifically, we explain why an increase in global return correlations does not necessarily imply a reduction in the benefits of international portfolio diversification. We also propose to compare empirically two traditional strategies of international diversification (by country and industry) in addition to a new strategy (by region) using two different methodological approaches, namely the mean variance spanning and multivariate cointegration analysis. Over the full sample period (1994- 2008), our results suggest that the three strategies of international diversification remain effective despite the secular increase in the cross-country return correlations. When we divide the sample into two different sub-periods (1994-2000 and 2000-2008), the findings indicate that the strategy based on regional diversification proved to be a new competing strategy during the second period in comparison to the other two traditional strategies.

Suggested Citation

  • Rachid Ghilal & Ahmed Marhfor & M'Zali Bouchra & Jean Jacques Lilti, 2021. "Are Strategies for International Diversification by Country, Industry and Region Equivalent?," Post-Print hal-03885614, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03885614
    DOI: 10.35944/jofrp.2021.10.1.011
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-03885614v1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://hal.science/hal-03885614v1/document
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.35944/jofrp.2021.10.1.011?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sean P. Baca & Brian L. Garbe & Richard A. Weiss, 2000. "The Rise of Sector Effects in Major Equity Markets," Financial Analysts Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 56(5), pages 34-40, September.
    2. Ehling, Paul & Ramos, Sofia B., 2006. "Geographic versus industry diversification: Constraints matter," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 13(4-5), pages 396-416, October.
    3. Brooks, Robin & Del Negro, Marco, 2004. "The rise in comovement across national stock markets: market integration or IT bubble?," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 11(5), pages 659-680, December.
    4. Kimberly A. Clausing, 2001. "Trade creation and trade diversion in the Canada - United States Free Trade Agreement," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 34(3), pages 677-696, August.
    5. Johansen, Soren & Juselius, Katarina, 1990. "Maximum Likelihood Estimation and Inference on Cointegration--With Applications to the Demand for Money," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 52(2), pages 169-210, May.
    6. Delcoure, Natalya & Zhong, Maosen, 2007. "On the premiums of iShares," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 14(2), pages 168-195, March.
    7. Huberman, Gur & Kandel, Shmuel, 1987. "Mean-Variance Spanning," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 42(4), pages 873-888, September.
    8. Davis, J. Scott & Van Wincoop, Eric, 2018. "Globalization and the increasing correlation between capital inflows and outflows," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 83-100.
    9. Henrik Hansen & Søren Johansen, 1999. "Some tests for parameter constancy in cointegrated VAR-models," Econometrics Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 2(2), pages 306-333.
    10. Joseph Steinberg, 2018. "International Portfolio Diversification and the Structure of Global Production," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 29, pages 195-219, July.
    11. John Y. Campbell, Robert J. Shiller, 1988. "The Dividend-Price Ratio and Expectations of Future Dividends and Discount Factors," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 1(3), pages 195-228.
    12. Lieven Baele, 2010. "The Determinants of Stock and Bond Return Comovements," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 23(6), pages 2374-2428, June.
    13. Stefano Cavaglia & Vadim Moroz, 2002. "Cross-Industry, Cross-Country Allocation," Financial Analysts Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 58(6), pages 78-97, November.
    14. Osterwald-Lenum, Michael, 1992. "A Note with Quantiles of the Asymptotic Distribution of the Maximum Likelihood Cointegration Rank Test Statistics," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 54(3), pages 461-472, August.
    15. Flavin, Thomas J., 2004. "The effect of the Euro on country versus industry portfolio diversification," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 23(7-8), pages 1137-1158.
    16. Campbell, John Y. & Giglio, Stefano & Polk, Christopher & Turley, Robert, 2018. "An intertemporal CAPM with stochastic volatility," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 128(2), pages 207-233.
    17. Faias, José A. & Ferreira, Miguel A., 2017. "Does institutional ownership matter for international stock return comovement?," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 64-83.
    18. Vihang Errunza & Ked Hogan & Mao‐Wei Hung, 1999. "Can the Gains from International Diversification Be Achieved without Trading Abroad?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 54(6), pages 2075-2107, December.
    19. Jianguo Chen & Andrea Bennett & Ting Zheng, 2006. "Sector Effects in Developed vs. Emerging Markets," Financial Analysts Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 62(6), pages 40-51, November.
    20. Gabriele Galati & Kostas Tsatsaronis, 2003. "The impact of the euro on Europe's financial markets," Financial Markets, Institutions & Instruments, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 12(3), pages 165-222, August.
    21. Wang, Chaug-Jung & Lee, Chien-Hui & Huang, Bwo-Nung, 2003. "An analysis of industry and country effects in global stock returns: evidence from Asian countries and the U.S," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 43(3), pages 560-577.
    22. Ammer, John & Mei, Jianping, 1996. "Measuring International Economic Linkages with Stock Market Data," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 51(5), pages 1743-1763, December.
    23. Moerman, Gerard A., 2008. "Diversification in euro area stock markets: Country versus industry," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 27(7), pages 1122-1134, November.
    24. Stefano Cavaglia & Christopher Brightman & Michael Aked, 2000. "The Increasing Importance of Industry Factors," Financial Analysts Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 56(5), pages 41-54, September.
    25. Griffin, John M. & Andrew Karolyi, G., 1998. "Another look at the role of the industrial structure of markets for international diversification strategies," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(3), pages 351-373, December.
    26. Roll, Richard, 1992. "Industrial Structure and the Comparative Behavior of International Stock Market Indices," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 47(1), pages 3-41, March.
    27. Francesca Carrieri & Vihang Errunza & Sergei Sarkissian, 2004. "Industry Risk and Market Integration," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 50(2), pages 207-221, February.
    28. Lucy F. Ackert & Yisong S. Tian, 2000. "Arbitrage and Valuation in the Market forStandard and Poor's Depository Receipts," Financial Management, Financial Management Association, vol. 29(3), Fall.
    29. Harvey, Campbell R, 1991. "The World Price of Covariance Risk," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 46(1), pages 111-157, March.
    30. Bekaert, Geert & Urias, Michael S, 1996. "Diversification, Integration and Emerging Market Closed-End Funds," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 51(3), pages 835-869, July.
    31. Cheung, Yin-Wong & Lai, Kon S., 1995. "A search for long memory in international stock market returns," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 14(4), pages 597-615, August.
    32. Kent Hargis & Jianping Mei, 2006. "Is Country Diversification better than Industry Diversification?," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 12(3), pages 319-340, June.
    33. Lessard, Donald R, 1974. "World, National, and Industry Factors in Equity Returns," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 29(2), pages 379-391, May.
    34. Johansen, Soren, 1988. "Statistical analysis of cointegration vectors," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 12(2-3), pages 231-254.
    35. K. Geert Rouwenhorst, 1999. "European Equity Markets and the EMU," Financial Analysts Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(3), pages 57-64, May.
    36. Pilar Soriano & Francisco Climent, 2006. "Region vs. Industry Effects and Volatility Transmission," Financial Analysts Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 62(6), pages 52-64, November.
    37. Serra, Ana Paula, 2000. "Country and industry factors in returns: evidence from emerging markets' stocks," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 1(2), pages 127-151, September.
    38. Heston, Steven L. & Rouwenhorst, K. Geert, 1994. "Does industrial structure explain the benefits of international diversification?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 3-27, August.
    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. O'Hagan-Luff, Martha & Berrill, Jenny, 2015. "Why stay-at-home investing makes sense," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 1-14.
    2. Julia Koralun-Bereźnicka, 2011. "Country and industry factors as determinants of corporate financial liquidity in the European Union countries," Bank i Kredyt, Narodowy Bank Polski, vol. 42(1), pages 19-48.
    3. Paul EHLING & Sofia B. RAMOS, 2003. "Geographical versus Industrial Diversification: A Mean Variance Spanning Approach," FAME Research Paper Series rp80, International Center for Financial Asset Management and Engineering.
    4. Ehling, Paul & Ramos, Sofia B., 2006. "Geographic versus industry diversification: Constraints matter," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 13(4-5), pages 396-416, October.
    5. Lu, Qinye & Vivian, Andrew, 2020. "Domestically formed international diversification," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    6. Eiling, Esther & Gerard, Bruno & Hillion, Pierre & de Roon, Frans A., 2012. "International portfolio diversification: Currency, industry and country effects revisited," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 31(5), pages 1249-1278.
    7. Pieterse-Bloem, Mary & Mahieu, Ronald J., 2013. "Factor decomposition and diversification in European corporate bond markets," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 194-213.
    8. Chou, Hsin-I & Zhao, Jing & Suardi, Sandy, 2014. "Factor reversal in the euro zone stock returns: Evidence from the crisis period," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 28-55.
    9. Marcelo, José Luis Miralles & Quirós, José Luis Miralles & Martins, José Luís, 2013. "The role of country and industry factors during volatile times," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 26(C), pages 273-290.
    10. Phylaktis, Kate & Xia, Lichuan, 2006. "Sources of firms' industry and country effects in emerging markets," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 25(3), pages 459-475, April.
    11. Campa, Jose Manuel & Fernandes, Nuno, 2006. "Sources of gains from international portfolio diversification," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 13(4-5), pages 417-443, October.
    12. Coroneo, Laura & Jackson, Laura E. & Owyang, Michael T., 2020. "International Stock Comovements with Endogenous Clusters," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    13. Hooy, Chee-Wooi & Lee, Meng-Horng & Chong, Terence Tai Leung, 2017. "The Sources of Country and Industry Variations in ASEAN Stock Returns," MPRA Paper 80574, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Chiang, Shu-hen & Liu, Wen-Chien & Suardi, Sandy & Zhao, Jing, 2021. "United we stand divided we fall: The time-varying factors driving European Union stock returns," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    15. Cheol S. Eun & Sandy Lai & Frans A. de Roon & Zhe Zhang, 2010. "International Diversification with Factor Funds," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 56(9), pages 1500-1518, September.
    16. Moerman, Gerard A., 2008. "Diversification in euro area stock markets: Country versus industry," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 27(7), pages 1122-1134, November.
    17. Pieterse-Bloem, M., 2011. "The effect of Emu on bond market integration and investor portfolio allocations," Other publications TiSEM 3c6ce80d-9260-424a-b889-b, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    18. Vicente J. Bermejo & José M. Campa & Rodolfo G. Campos & Mohammed Zakriya, 2020. "Do foreign stocks substitute for international diversification?," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 26(5), pages 1191-1223, November.
    19. Umutlu, Mehmet & Yargı, Seher Gören & Zaremba, Adam, 2023. "Market segmentation and international diversification across country and industry portfolios," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    20. Flavin, Thomas J., 2004. "The effect of the Euro on country versus industry portfolio diversification," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 23(7-8), pages 1137-1158.

    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:hal:journl:hal-03885614. 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: CCSD (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/ .

    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.