An Empirical Analysis of Macroeconomic Variability on the Ghanaian Stock Market: A Vector Autoregression Approach

Abstract

This study investigates the dynamic interrelationships among stock prices and selected macroeconomic indicators namely; economic activity, global commodity price index, inflation and interest rates in Ghana. By employing a Vector Autoregression (VAR) Model, the empirical results reveal that stock prices depreciate with an increase in global commodity prices and interest rates indicating a negative relationship. On the other hand, stock prices appreciate with an increase in inflation and economic activity indicating a positive relationship. Examining stock market variability on the selected macroeconomic variables also showed that inflation and interest rates respond negatively to changes in asset prices while the stock market itself is not found to be a leading indicator for economic activity. The evidence suggests that the listed equities on the GSE are a hedge against inflation in Ghana. Increasing economic activity over time is advantageous for the Ghanaian stock market.