VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OE ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS FACULTY OF FINANCE AND BANKING Graduation Thesis THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ECONOMIC POLICY UNCERTAINTY AND VIETNAMESE STOCK MARKET TEACHER INSTRUCTION: PhD. Vu Thi Loan STUDENT: Nong Thi Huong Ly CLASS: QH2019E TCNH CLC4 STUDENT CODE: 19050689 Ha Noi, May 2023 wll DECLARARTION I hereby declare that this graduation thesis is my own work, with the support of my supervisor, and has not copied the work of others. This is my own research work. The data and secondary information used in the thesis are sourced and clearly cited.
This statement is entirely my responsibility. Hanoi, May 13th 2023 Thesis author Nong Thi Huong Ly ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis is the result of serious research by the author with my own efforts. However, to complete the thesis, I have received much encouragement and help from many people. First of all, I would like to thank the teachers who are lecturers in the VNU - University of Economics and Business, who have dedicatedly imparted meaningful knowledge and experiences on economic, financial and banking when I attended class QH-2019-E TCNH CLC 4, Faculty of Finance and Banking, VNU - University of Economics and Business to confidently complete this graduation thesis.
For this result, I would like to express my deep gratitude to the lecturer who guided my graduation thesis during the last 3 months as a PhD. Vu Thi Loan - lecturer at the Faculty of Finance and Banking, VNU - University of Economics and Business, she has guided wholeheartedly and thoughtfully in her professional knowledge so that I can complete my graduation thesis well. In the process of doing the test, I tried my best to fulfil all the requirements and goals set out, however, my knowledge and experience is limited, so mistakes are inevitable. I look forward to receiving suggestions from teachers to improve my graduation thesis.
Finally, I would like to wish all teachers good health and success in their teaching career! TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTTION. G5 1E 2111 1n TH TH ng ng Hiệp 7 1.1 The urgency Of the topic. Research ObJ€CfIV€S. cọ HH in 8 IS uốn ố.
Scope of the research va research subjects .- -- G cv TH HT nàn 9 1.- -- - << 110v nọ nọ nh 9 1. 9 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL BASIS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ECONOMIC POLICY UNCERTAINTY AND VIETNAMESE STOCK MAR. Overview of foreign research .-- c1 113221011113 101 1 19 11111911 ng vn vờ 11 2. Overview of domestic r€S€aTCH.
c2 c E101 1113301 1 199111 9 vn vn vn rưy 13 2. Theoretical basis on the relationship between Economic Policy Uncertainty and stock iu20. Overview of Economic Policy UnC€TfAITVY. Theory regarding the effect of Economic Policy Uncertainty on the stock market TOCUINS.
Other theories concern the relationship of Economic Policy Uncertainty and the Du 00060. Some other theoretical bases on factors affecting the stock market. -- - c 1H TT HH gvv 30 3.- - -- <1 119011 ng HH kg 30 3. Econometric model: Panel Regression Model.
Data collection methOs. -- - - <6 1111911113911 1 1011k vn ng 33 CHAPTER 4: RESEARCH RESULTS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ECONOMIC POLICY UNCERTAINTY AND STOCK MARKET RETURNS IN VIETNAM. Overview of the Vietnamese stock market and the uncertainty of economic policy in Mr. Overview of the Vietnamese stock maTKef.
- 556 1 1+1 9 vs ke rey 38 4. Overview of Economic Policy Uncertainty in Vietnam. Descriptive Sf{A{ISEICS.- <6 + 1 11 91v ng ng nh rưy 42 4. Result of Panel Regression Model.
Selection of Regression Model. Summary of research results 8. Policy Implications for ŒOV€TnIN€TI. Policy Implications for inVestors.
Research limitations and directions for future stUd1eS. Research ]ImI{Af1OTS. Directions for future Studies. 53 References in English P0.
53 References in ¿coi Bố e. 54 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ABBREVIATIONS ORIGINAL EPU Economic Policy Uncertainty PE Price/Earning Ratio EPS Earning Per Share Ratio DP Dividend Payout Ratio DI Domestic Investors FI Foreign Investors TO Turnover EU European Union HOSE Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange POLS Pooled Ordinary Least Square FEM Fixed Effect Model REM Random Effect Model LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURE Table 3.1: Variables and Source of Data .--- <5 1119210111199 1 11199 11H ng ky 36 Figure 4.1: VN-Index in the period 2003-22. Economic Policy Uncertainty Index in Vietnam. - Ặ HH HH ky 41 Table 4.3 : Result of POLS, FEM, REM model.- - - + EE *E + SE ££ceeee 43 Table 4.4: Model Selection R©SuÏ.
-- 56 c1 99112 vn ng 45 Table 4. Multicollinearity of Mode] .6 : F-statistic from Serial Correlation Wooldridge test .-- 55 2-ss<s++sseesss 46 Table 4.7: Result of FEM model .1 The urgency of the topic The world is facing Economic Policy Uncertainty (EPU) such as the economic shock due to the COVID-19 pandemic and US-China trade war. Fascinatingly enough, unlike the 9/11 Terrorist Attack, Russia-Ukraine War or even Syrian Civil Wars, COVID-19 pandemic is the first event that imposed such high degree of uncertainties that had ever degraded the stock market and soared the economic policy risk. Thus, it is certain that the current world is more sensitive towards economic policy risk (EPU) than ever before.
The phenomenon of Economic Policy Uncertainty (EPU) is not limited to a specific set of countries, and many countries have experienced EPU in varying degrees. EPU can arise due to several reasons, including changes in government policies, political instability, geopolitical tensions, or unexpected events such as pandemics (Phan et al 2021, Fang 2019, Jiang 2020). For instance, the Brexit referendum in the United Kingdom caused significant EPU, as policymakers and investors were uncertain about the future of the country's trade relations with the European Union (EU). The challenge facing each country's policymakers is that understanding the impact of the EPU on countries' economies is crucial for policymakers and investors to make informed decisions and minimize the potential negative effects of the EPU.
In light of the recent global financial crisis and growing partisan policy disputes in the US, there are growing concerns about policy uncertainty mainly related to economic policies and financial decisions (Baker et al. This is largely based on the belief that U. and European tax uncertainties, as well as fiscal, monetary, and other regulatory policies, have contributed significantly to the economic downturn and global finance in 2008 and the slow recovery thereafter. Issues such as rising unemployment and income inequality, migration, and volatile oil prices have complicated the global economy.
Furthermore, uncertainty in economic policy has always played an important role in shaping economic outcomes, as evidenced by the recent sluggish economic growth in many countries currently experiencing policy instability. The effects of EPU on countries' economies can be significant and may differ depending on the country's economic structure, policies, and institutional frameworks. For instance, a study by Ludvigson et al. (2021) found that EPU can reduce investment and output growth, increase unemployment, and lower household consumption.
In the case of the United States, Baker et al. (2016) found that EPU has a negative impact on economic activity, with lower investment, employment, and output growth.Li and Zhang (2020) found that EPU in China reduced investment, particularly in state-owned enterprises, and weakened the link 7 between investment and economic growth. Similarly, Baek and Brockman (2020) found that EPU in Korea reduced stock market liquidity, which can lead to higher transaction costs and lower trading volumes. Overall, these studies suggest that EPU can have negative effects on countries' economies, which can be challenging for policymakers to manage.
In contrast, studies have shown that EPU can have a positive impact on countries with more flexible economic policies, such as China. According to Wang et al. (2021), EPU in China can stimulate investment in certain industries, such as real estate, due to the government's flexible policy responses. These challenges about EPU are also apparent in emerging economies such as Vietnam.
The Vietnam stock market is not immune to the effects of EPU, as it has been shown to have a negative impact on the stock market's performance. For instance, Nguyen et al. (2020) found that EPU has a significant negative impact on the returns and volatility of the Vietnam stock market. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate the relatedness between EPU and the Vietnam stock market to identify the factors that influence the market's performance and investors’ behavior.
By studying the relationship between EPU and the Vietnam stock market, we aim to contribute to the existing literature on the effects of EPU on the stock markets. Ultimately, my research will shed light on what we can expect when considering the relationship between Economic Policy Uncertainty and the Vietnam stock market. Research objectives Analyze the impact of Economic Policy Uncertainty on stock market performance in Vietnam Investigate the relationship between Economic Policy Uncertainty and stock market volatility in Vietnam Examine the asymmetric effects of Economic Policy Uncertainty on the Vietnamese stock market 1. Research methods Qualitative method: Collect reputable documents and refer to previous research papers related to the topic to get detailed information about the research object, thereby forming a theoretical basis, reasonable and solid reasoning method for the topic.
Quantitative method: after having background information and data set, model variables using quantitative models in a specific time frame. The data from World Uncertainty Index for Vietnam https://fred.org/seriessWUIVNM is the foundation of the research. Data are presented in panel form and using OLS , FEM, REM model to estimate and evaluate the effect of EPU. Scope of the research va research subjects - Time scope: Effect of Economic Policy Uncertainty on the stock market between the Ist quarter of 2002 to the first quarter of 2023 - Space scope: Studying the influence of economic uncertainty policy on the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HoSE).
Research questions - (1) How does Economic Policy Uncertainty affect the Vietnamese stock market and its dynamics? - (2) What is the difference between the impact of domestic and international EPUs on Vietnam's stock market? - (3) What macroeconomic factors affect the relationship between Economic Policy Uncertainty and the stock market? 1. Research contribution Through the study, the author is expected to make the following contributions: First, overview, systematize the theory on the relationship between Economic Policy Uncertainty and the stock market. Second, the study measures Economic Policy Uncertainty and the stock market through panel data models including: POLS, FEM, REM. In addition, the study also evaluates the impact of the Economic Policy Uncertainty index on the stock market's profitability ratio.
In particular, the study tests that the EPU index has a negative relationship with the profitability of the Vietnamese stock market. Third, based on the research results, the study also makes some recommendations for the Government and investors, securities companies to improve the level of investors as well as enhance market transparency. Research structure For the purpose of the study, this thesis was formed in the following way, which includes 5 chapters. The structure of the rest of the thesis will be as follows.
In Chapter 2 discuss related literature and presents the theoretical framework of EPU and Stock market. The author 9 illustrates the research data and models specification Chapter 3. Chapter 4 presents empirical results. Chapter 5 is the conclusion.
10 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL BASIS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ECONOMIC POLICY UNCERTAINTY AND VIETNAMESE STOCK MARKET 2. Overview offoreign research “* Economic Policy Uncertainty impact on stock market The paper by Li et al. (2015) studies the predictive power of Economic Policy Uncertainty (EPU) on stock market volatility. The evidence in our sample shows that a higher EPU leads to a significant increase in market volatility.
The out-of-sample findings suggest that incorporating EPU as an additional predictor to existing volatility prediction models will significantly improve the predictive power of these models. The paper by Jun et al.