Do Capital Flows Matter to Stock and House Prices? Evidence from China

Abstract

This article analyzes the impacts of foreign direct investment (FDI) and short-term capital flows, otherwise known as hot money, on stock and house prices in China. Empirical results, estimated using the local projections approach, reveal that a positive hot money net inflow shock significantly increases stock and house prices and the impacts persist for up to 1–2 months, while a positive FDI net inflow shock contributes significantly to lagged house price appreciation but has no effect on stock prices. This study also identifies negative pass-through effects of FDI net inflows on hot money net inflows and positive pass-through effects of stock prices on house prices.