Long-Term Global Market Correlations

52 Pages Posted: 17 Nov 2001 Last revised: 15 Jul 2022

See all articles by William N. Goetzmann

William N. Goetzmann

Yale School of Management - International Center for Finance; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Lingfeng Li

Capula Investment Services

K. Geert Rouwenhorst

Yale School of Management - International Center for Finance

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Date Written: November 2001

Abstract

In this paper we examine the correlation structure of the major world equity markets over 150 years. We find that correlations vary considerably through time and are highest during periods of economic and financial integration such as the late 19th and 20th centuries. Our analysis suggests that the diversification benefits to global investing are not constant, and that they are currently low compared to the rest of capital market history. We decompose the diversification benefits into two parts: a component that is due to variation in the average correlation across markets, and a component that is due to the variation in the investment opportunity set. There are periods, like the last two decades, in which the opportunity set expands dramatically, and the benefits to diversification are driven primarily by the existence of marginal markets. For other periods, such as the two decades following World War II, risk reduction is due to low correlations among the major national markets. From this, we infer that periods of globalization have both benefits and drawbacks for international investors. They expand the opportunity set, but diversification relies increasingly on investment in emerging markets.

Suggested Citation

Goetzmann, William N. and Li, Lingfeng and Rouwenhorst, K. Geert, Long-Term Global Market Correlations (November 2001). NBER Working Paper No. w8612, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=291287

William N. Goetzmann (Contact Author)

Yale School of Management - International Center for Finance ( email )

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Lingfeng Li

Capula Investment Services ( email )

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K. Geert Rouwenhorst

Yale School of Management - International Center for Finance ( email )

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