Recent Evidence on the Oil Price Shocks on GCC Stock Markets

Abstract

The recent plunge in the price of oil affected many countries, especially major oil producers and exporters, such as the Gulf Corporation Council (GCC), which accounts for half of the global oil reserves. This paper examines the impact of oil price changes on GCC stock markets, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates over a 10-year period, 2005– 2015. We examine the direction of influence and influence absorption through Granger causality and impulse response function. The results are important for portfolio management at the international level, and provide insights for government and regulatory authorities in times of oil price change. Additionally, the evidence suggests the need for more economic diversification at the country level in the GCC region to mitigate high volatility in the event of oil shocks.

Keywords: GCC Countries; Stock Markets; Oil Prices; Stock Market Volatility; Granger Causality; Impulse Response Functions

JEL Classification: C32; C51; G15