Robert C. Higgins

Is There a Contemporaneous Relation Between Exchange Rates and Stock Prices? Evidence from Decisions to Allow the Mexican Peso and Thai Baht to Float

This paper estimates short horizon exchange rate sensitivity with an event study methodology. We look at stock price reactions to very large, unexpected exchange rate changes: the decisions to allow the Mexican peso and Thai baht to float. For both events, we find evidence of a statistically and economically significant contemporaneous relation. Our findings are consistent with the premise that the inability of much of the prior research to observe a contemporaneous relation between exchange rates and company value is due to methodological issues.

Estimating the Exchange Rate Exposure of US Multinational Firms: Evidence from an Event Study Methodology

This paper provides new evidence on the issue of whether or not there is a contemporaneous relation between the dollar and firm value as measured with stock returns. Prior studies have failed to find any short-term relation between the value of the dollar and the stock price reactions of U.S. multinational firms. Using a different methodology than previous studies, we find a significant average negative drop in stock price across 430 firms on the day that Thailand devalued the bhat, initiating Asia’s financial crisis. We also show that this measure of exposure is related to both firm size and several proxies for intensity of foreign and Asian operations.