The puzzle of asymmetric effects of oil: New results from international stock markets

Abstract

Previous work has documented that oil price changes have nonlinear effects in the economy and in stock market returns. We show that the nonlinear effects are different depending on whether countries are energy dependent or not. While price soars seem to have a negative effect on the stock markets of oil energy dependent countries, they have a positive effect on the stock markets of oil exporting countries. Stock market returns are negatively affected by oil price volatility in energy dependent countries and positively in oil exporting countries. Moreover, we find bi-directional effects between oil price increases and some oil volatility measures that can be reinforced with volatility feedback. The asymmetric effects found in oil dependent and oil exporting countries seem to fit into the offset mechanism proposed in the literature where oil price shocks interact both with oil price volatility and the economy. The results are also consistent with the finding that oil exporting countries benefit economically from oil price hikes.