scholarly journals COVID-19 pandemic, oil prices, stock market, geopolitical risk and policy uncertainty nexus in the US economy: Fresh evidence from the wavelet-based approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 70 ◽  
pp. 101496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arshian Sharif ◽  
Chaker Aloui ◽  
Larisa Yarovaya

Significance One of the conundrums of the US economy that will influence the Federal Reserve's timing of an interest rate rise (currently projected for September) is where the savings from low energy prices have gone. Oil prices have dropped sharply since September 2014, from 97 dollars per barrel for West Texas Intermediate in June 2014 to 60 dollars per barrel today. Yet US personal consumption expenditures (PCE) only grew by 2.7%, well below the rate of growth of personal income, 4.1%. Impacts Greater spending on petrol will help the Highway Trust Fund slightly, but not before a new funding package is due by July 31. Low oil prices will outweigh consumer savings in such producing states as Texas and North Dakota. Greater consumer spending will adversely affect the US trade balance, as imports will rise due to the strong dollar.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seabelo T. Nyawo ◽  
Roscoe Bertrum Van Wyk

This paper investigates the effects of a US economic policy uncertainty shock on Indian macroeconomic variables with a number of Structural VARs. This study models the economic policy uncertainty index as constructed by Baker et al. (2013). The study also uses a set of macroeconomic variables for India such as inflation, industrial production and nominal interest rate. The objective of the study is to identify the potential impacts of economic policy uncertainty shocks from the US economy to the Indian economy. According to the SVARs, a one standard deviation shock to the US economic policy uncertainty leads to a statistically significant decline in the Indian industrial production of -0.294% and in the Indian inflation of -0.032%. India shows to be resistant to US policy uncertainty. Furthermore, the study finds that the contribution of the US economic policy uncertainty on the Indian macroeconomic variables is shown to be significantly larger than the one exerted by the Indian uncertainty shock. 


Subject Prospects for Central America and the Caribbean in 2018. Significance Most countries in Central America and the Caribbean (CA/C) grew above the Latin American average in 2017, with low oil prices and the recuperation of the US economy helping to drive positive economic outcomes. Challenges still facing the sub-region include corruption, high public debt and the negative impact of natural disasters.


Significance Divided government provides scope for volatility at a perilous time for the pandemic-ravaged US economy, but markets are putting greater weight on the prospect of a vaccine accelerating the global recovery. Tech stocks have fallen as investors take their gains and opt for 'reflation trades' predicated on a recovery in sectors hit hard by the pandemic. Impacts Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft and Facebook make up over 20% of the US stock market; firm fundamentals guard against a sharp sell-off. China’s renminbi has risen to the highest to the dollar since the US-China tariff battle ramped up in early 2018; more strength is likely. China’s export orders grew only marginally in October and import growth slowed, signposting that the world trade recovery could plateau.


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