Interdependencies of COVID-19 and Financial Equity Markets: A Case of Five Most Affected COVID-19 Countries-A Wavelet Transformed Coherence Approach

This study applied novel wavelet techniques to daily stock returns and COVID-19 case data from January 22, 2020, to March 31, 2022, for the five most COVID-affected countries (US, India, Brazil, France, and Turkey). We discovered that pandemic cases have a negative effect on stock returns across all nations. All countries except Turkey's equity market returns and COVID-19 cases exhibit specific short-run and consistent long-run coherence. This study contributes to the existing literature about the financial implications of the pandemic. The current study empirically examine the positive/negative, long/short-run, and leading/lagging dependence of COVID-19 and financial equity markets of the top 5 COVID-19 affected countries. The current findings reveal particularized short-run and consistent long-run coherence among COVID-19 cases and equity market returns of all the sample countries except Turkey, and specified short-run and consistent long-run coherence of USA COVID-19 cases with Brazil, France, India, and Turkey stock markets returns, respectively. Furthermore, this study will augment the knowledge of the policy maker to ward off crises created by any future pandemic by their understanding of the stock market reaction to such unwarranted situations. This study will also guide the investment professional in making the right decision to mitigate risks arising from the pandemic.