ABSTRACT
We study the effects of COVID‐19 intensity on equity market liquidity across U.S. states. We exploit cross‐sectional variation in cases and deaths to investigate any association with the deterioration of stock liquidity of firms whose headquarters or operations are in the corresponding state(s). Our motivation stems from several underlying economic channels such as order processing costs, inventory costs, and adverse selection costs. We find strong negative relations between pandemic intensity and various intra‐day liquidity measures. Our results are more pronounced for firms operating in states with more stringent containment and health measures and within industries with greater risk exposure.
ABSTRACT
This study investigates the impact of government policy responses of COVID-19 pandemic on stock market liquidity for listed Australian companies and for 11 different industries separately. A quantitative deductive approach is used for a sample of 1,452 companies with a total of 292,164 firm-day observations over a period from January 25, 2020 to December 31, 2020 during the outbreak of COVID-19. Univariate and multivariate (two-way cluster-robust panel regression) analysis were conducted. Data were collected from the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker, Worldmeter, Refinitiv Workspace and Datastream. Our findings indicate that the influences of the six out of seven stringency policy responses reduced Australian equity market liquidity. However, public information campaigns enhanced market liquidity and hence trading activity. Among the 11 industries, our analysis shows that the non-pharmaceutical interventions by the Australian government have significant and positive effects on four industries: Consumer non-cyclicals, healthcare, financial and technology. However, the worse effects were depicted in the industrial (transportation) and energy industries. This study is important for investors, policymakers and regulators to understand the diverse effects of government policy responses of COVID-19 on stock market liquidity to enhance financial stability. Moreover, understanding this effect is particularly important to decision-makers such as portfolio and fund managers to manage their portfolios and trading activities during extreme turbulence times, such as COVID-19. Unlike previous studies that focus on country analysis, this study examines on firm basis the impact of government interventions on stock market liquidity in a well developed Australian stock market.
ABSTRACT
We study the effects of COVID-19 intensity on equity market liquidity across U.S. states. We exploit cross-sectional variation in cases and deaths to investigate any association with the deterioration of stock liquidity of firms whose headquarters or operations are in the corresponding state(s). Our motivation stems from several underlying economic channels such as order processing costs, inventory costs, and adverse selection costs. We find strong negative relations between pandemic intensity and various intra-day liquidity measures. Our results are more pronounced for firms operating in states with more stringent containment and health measures and within industries with greater risk exposure.
ABSTRACT
We examine the liquidity impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic upon equity markets in the USA, UK, Brazil, China, Germany and Spain. We establish that the pandemic causes a short-term loss in liquidity, confirmed by the significant increases in bid-ask spreads. Further, analysing long-term financial stability using price impact ratios, shows that for China alone, there is an impact of COVID-19. Also, examination of spread decomposition reveals the role of information asymmetry in the widening of spreads, rather than changes in cost of trading around the news of the pandemic. This finding holds for all of the observed capital markets with the exception of China.