The effect of exchange rate shocks on the volatility of Australian sector excess returns: a note

Abstract

The study uses GARCH-M methodology to examine the effect of exchange rate shocks on the volatility of excess returns for the nineteen sectors of the Australian stock market. The data covers the period December 1979 through April 1994. The evidence suggests that news on exchange rates can improve the volatility forecasts of certain Australian stock market sector excess returns. The findings have implications for the professional investor looking to diversify risk and, in addition, give some support to asset pricing models that place information on the state of the economy as central to the process determining equity returns.