Modelling Macroeconomic Determinants Of Stock Market Prices: Evidence From Namibia

Abstract

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span><p style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">This paper investigates the macroeconomic determinants of stock market prices in Namibia. The investigation was conducted using a VECM econometric methodology and revealed that Namibian stock market prices are chiefly determined by economic activity, interest rates, inflation, money supply and exchange rates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An increase in economic activity and the money supply increases stock market prices, while increases in inflation and interest rates decrease stock prices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The results suggest that equities are not a hedge against inflation in Namibia, and contractionary monetary policy generally depresses stock prices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Increasing economic activity promotes stock market price development.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span>