International asset pricing models suggest that barriers to portfolio flows and availability of market substitutes affect the degree and time variation of world market integration. We use GARCH-in-mean methodology to assess the evolution in market integration for eight emerging markets over the period 1977–2000. Our results suggest that while local risk is still a relevant factor in explaining time variation of emerging market returns, none of the countries appear to be completely segmented. We find that there are substantial crossmarket differences in the degree of integration. The evolution toward more integrated financial markets is apparent although at times we do observe reversals. In addition, we provide clear evidence on the impropriety of directly using correlations of market-wide index returns as a measure of market integration. Finally, financial market development and financial liberalization policies play important roles in integrating emerging markets.

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Traditionally, integration has been studied at the country level. With increasing economic integration, industrial reorganization, and blurring of national boundaries (e.g., European Union (EU)), it is important to investigate global integration at the industry level. We argue that country-level integration (segmentation) does not preclude industry-level segmentation (integration). Indeed, our results suggest that a country is integrated with (segmented from) the world capital markets only if most of her industries are integrated (segmented). We also show that although global industry risk is small, it can be priced for certain industries. Industries that are priced differently from either the world or domestic markets represent incremental opportunities for international diversification.imperfect industry integration, global industry risk, conditional asset pricing, industry information variables, portfolio diversification

In this paper, we provide new evidence about the unconditional pricing of exchange risk in the stock market, based on emerging market data. We conduct empirical tests using cross-sectional data at the market, portfolio and firm level from nine emerging markets (EMs) to determine whether exchange risk is priced under alternative model specifications and exchange rate measures. Our results support the hypothesis of a significant unconditional exchange risk premium in emerging stock markets, differently from most unconditional tests for major developed markets. However, there is indication that at the aggregate market level the significance of the exchange risk factor is subsumed by local market risk. With firm-level data, although the importance of local market is confirmed for most countries, some measure of exchange rate risk remains significant for most countries. This suggests that a careful model specification is necessary for EMs when testing for the pricing of exchange risk in order to avoid a potential spurious significance of such factor because of a missing local risk or vice versa. Journal of International Business Studies (2006) 37, 372–391. doi:10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8400204

This paper conducts empirical tests in a conditional setting for 10 developed and 12 emerging markets to determine whether emerging market currency risk is priced and if it spills over into developed market assets. Our empirical model is based on real exchange rate measures and it allows currency risk to compete with broader economic and political risks. We find that emerging market currency risk is priced separately from other local risk factors and that it represents a significant component of equity returns in both developed and emerging markets. We also find that the spillover impact is heightened during emerging market crisis episodes and affects the expected compensation for global risks.