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Journal of Banking & Finance Vol. 31 No. 10 2007

Does sovereign debt ratings news spill over to international stock markets?

Miguel A. Ferreira1; Paulo M. Gama2

1 ISCTE Business School-Lisbon, CEMAF, Complexo INDEG/ISCTE, Av. Prof. Anibal Bettencourt, 1600-189 Lisboa, Portugal · 2 University of Coimbra

open access

Abstract

The evidence here indicates that sovereign debt rating and credit outlook changes of one country have an asymmetric and economically significant effect on the stock market returns of other countries over 1989–2003. There is a negative reaction of 51 basis points (two-day return spread vis-á-vis the US) to a credit ratings downgrade of one notch in a common information spillover around the world. Upgrades, however, have no significant impact on return spreads of countries abroad. Closeness (e.g., geographic proximity) and emerging market status amplify the effect of a spillover. Downgrade spillover effects at the industry level are more pronounced in traded goods and small industries.

DOI
10.1016/j.jbankfin.2006.12.006
Volume
31
Issue
10
Pages
3162-3182
Language
en
Sources
openalex crossref bibtex:phds-export.bib

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