Author : Cheonggu Cho(Yeungnam University)

<Abstract>

According to the portfolio rebalancing model of Hau and Rey (2004; 2006), portfolio equity flows of international investors are one of key variables which determine the relationship between stock prices and exchange rate. Equity flows not only directly affect both stock prices and exchange rate, but also serve as a transmission channel of shocks between the two variables. This paper analyzes the structural relationships between Korea-US equity flows, Korea stock prices, USD/KRW exchange rate and US stock prices over the period from January 2000 to December 2016, using the structural VAR model. We employ the identification method through heteroscedasticity to allow for contemporaneous bidirectional causalities between the variables included in the model. Based on the impulse response analysis, we find that Korea-US equity flows, Korea stock prices and USD/KRW exchange rate have significant contemporaneous and/or lagged effects on each other and generally have the strongest effects in the month when shocks occur. As a whole, the signs of estimated impulse responses, except for the accumulated response of Korea stock prices to a shock in USD/KRW exchange rate, show the patterns consistent with the predictions of the portfolio rebalancing model during the sample period.