Investigating Equilibrium Relationship between Macroeconomic Variables and Malaysian Stock Market Index through Bounds Tests Approach

Abstract

The current paper conducts an empirical examination into the long-run and short-run equilibrium relationships between macroeconomic variables and the Malaysian stock market index (SMI) for the 1977-2011 period. Specifically, it employs Ng and Perron (NP) bounds statistics test to detect the boundaries of variables stationarity. Subsequently, the co-integrating relationships among variables are tested using the bounds F-statistic test. Eventually, the long-run and short-run equilibrium relationships are analyzed using Pesaran, Shin, and Smith (PSS) bounds tests Approach. The results indicate that all macroeconomic variables are co-integrated with SMI. Besides, understanding the long-run and short-run equilibrium relationships between macroeconomic variables and SMI could be highly appreciable from the perspectives of policymakers, financial economists, domestic and international investors dealing with Malaysian stock market.