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This study investigates how digital inclusive finance, financial development, and technology influenced forest and timber outputs across 31 provinces in China from 2011 to 2021. The findings, derived from panel quantile regression analysis, indicate that digital inclusive finance significantly enhances forest economic output, particularly in regions with lower economic activity, by improving access to critical financial resources such as credit and investment. However, the positive effects diminish at higher levels of economic activity, suggesting potential diminishing returns. Through the marketization of credit distribution and diverse financial instruments, financial development is essential for promoting sustainable forestry practices and adopting new technologies. Based on the findings, the study suggests expanding digital financial services in areas with low forest activity to help people access credit and investments, boosting forest productivity. It also recommends improving financial markets and investing in new forestry technologies to support better forest management and timber production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on financial inclusion. To identify the causal effect of FDI on financial inclusion, we use plausibly exogenous source of variations in bilateral investment treaties (BITs) as a novel instrumental variable (IV) for net FDI inflows. Using annual data for a broad panel of 90 countries over the period 2004 to 2017, our results show that FDI improves financial inclusion for both "access to finance" and "use of financial services". This impact is more pronounced for relatively poor countries and developing countries compared to rich and developed countries. We also find that higher financial market development and quality institutions improve financial inclusion directly. Moreover, financial market development and institutional quality can serve as potential channels and moderating variables through which FDI affects financial inclusion. Our results are robust to various estimations and sample splitting and have important implications for policy on financial inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from 1996 to 2019 covering five Western Balkan countries and applying the linear panel data estimation method, this paper examines the effect of macroeconomic indicators and financial market development on income inequality. Regression results with Driscoll-Kraay standard errors demonstrate that income per capita increases income disparities. Theoretically, there are grounds for both a positive and negative relationship between economic growth and income inequality. In addition, contrary to prevailing literature, our analysis finds no significant impact of financial market development on income inequality, while the rule of law is found to have no effect on income inequalities in these countries. We depart from previous literature by bringing new evidence on the relationship between income inequality and economic growth in the specific context of Western Balkan countries. We study this relationship in an integrated framework and rely on a larger time span, both of which are seemingly important for comprehending the income inequality-economic growth nexus. Certainly, the obtained results bear important policy implications as discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the heterogeneous effect of technological advancement, anti-monopoly policies, government transparency, and macroeconomic stability on financial market development. A panel data of 74 countries over the period 2007 to 2017 is selected. Based on simultaneous panel quantile regression (SPQR), the findings reveal that macroeconomic stability improves financial market development after the financial markets attain a certain level of efficiency (50th and 90th). Similarly, there is an asymmetric effect of antimonopoly policies on financial market development and a stronger effect is observed for intermediate markets. On the other hand, no significant effect of transparent government policy is indicated at any quantile. Lastly, the "noise trading" mechanism of technology advancement is demonstrated by SPQR estimations, especially for least and highly developed financial markets. These findings suggest that countries could attain financial market efficiency by implementing anti-monopoly policies so that corruption and bureaucratic power could be cramped effectively. Nonetheless, continuous monitoring is essential to sustain the value-enhancing mechanisms for financial activities so that information asymmetry issues emerge from technology advancement and competition is avoided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing environmental quality has become one of the most commonly discussed topics in the modern world, particularly in response to the challenges posed by the increasing threats to climate change. The financial system is acknowledged as a crucial factor in achieving environmental quality by facilitating the flow of financial resources. This study aims to examine the impact of a unique aspect of the financial system—financial market development—on environmental quality in Australia. What sets this study apart from existing works is its comprehensive approach, capturing broader measures of financial market development, including financial market depth, access, efficiency, and stability. By employing the Autoregressive Distributive Lag (ARDL) model over the period from 1983 to 2021, our research demonstrates a positive impact of market-based financial development on Australia's environmental quality by reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the long run. Specifically, an opposing impact of financial market development on environmental quality is evident in the short run. Our findings highlight that financial market development degrades environmental quality in the short run by contributing to increased greenhouse gas emissions, which further emphasizes the importance of integrating both the positive and negative effects of financial market development in policymaking, particularly in the context of achieving Australia's environmental targets.

Purpose – This study empirically investigates the relationship between goodwill assets and capital structure (i.e. debt ratio) of firms and the moderating effect of financial market development on the relationship between goodwill assets and capital structure. Design/methodology/approach – This research applied a quantitative method. The article collects large samples of listed firms from 23 developing and nine developed countries and applied the panel data techniques. This research used firm-level data from the DataStream database for both developed and developing countries. The study uses 4,912 firm-level data from 23 developing countries and 4,303 firm-level data from nine developed countries. Findings – The findings reveal a significant positive relationship between goodwill assets and capital structure in developing countries, but goodwill assets have a significant negative relationship with capital structure in developed countries. Moreover, financial market development positively moderates the relationship between goodwill assets and the capital structure of firms in developing countries. The results inform firm managers that goodwill assets serve as additional collateral to secure debt financing. Moreover, policymakers should formulate a debt market policy that recognizes goodwill assets as additional collateral for the purpose of obtaining debt capital. Research limitations/implications – The study has several implications. First, goodwill assets are identified as a factor of capital structure in this study. Fixed assets have been identified as one of the drivers of capital structure in previous research, although goodwill assets are seldom included. Second, this article shows that along with demand-side determinants, supply-side determinants also play an important role in terms of the firms' choice about the capital structure. Therefore, firms should take both the demand-side and supply-side factors into consideration when sourcing for external financing (i.e. debt capital). Originality/value – The study considered goodwill as a component of capital structure. The study analysis includes a large sample of enterprises, including 4,912 big firms from 23 developing countries and 4,303 large firms from nine industrialized or developed countries, which adds to the current capital structure information. Furthermore, a large sample size increases the results' robustness and generalizability.

The paper investigates the long-run output effects of international financial integration, and in particular their dependence on a country's institutions as proxied by the quality of governance and the level of domestic financial market development. The econometric framework takes account of heterogeneous short- and long-run dynamics, state-dependent thresholds for governance quality and financial development, cross-sectional dependence, output levels and growth rates, and the potential endogeneity of international financial integration. New indices capturing multiple dimensions of governance quality and domestic financial markets are used. Using a sample of 49 relatively large advanced and emerging market economies over the period 1971-2015, the empirical results suggest that a country's output benefits from international financial integration if it has sufficiently good governance and a reasonably developed domestic financial system; and above the thresholds such benefits generally increase with measures of good governance and the development of the domestic financial system. Output gains from international financial integration are estimated to be modest, especially for less developed countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both fertility policy and the healthy development of financial markets are important topics for sustainable economic and social development. By using the difference-in-difference (DID) model, this paper investigates how the universal two-child policy (UTCP) in China aiming to improve fertility affects household financial asset allocation, based on the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) data from 2010 to 2018. The results show that the implementation of UTCP has a significant negative impact on household risk asset holdings. Specifically, the policy decreases the probability of households participating in the financial market by 3.1 percentage points, reduces the total value of risk assets held by 50.2%, and lowers the proportion of risk asset investment by 1.76 percentage points. Mechanism analysis suggests that the implementation of the policy has a significantly negative impact on labor market outcomes for women, which decreases household income and increases the time and effort spent on caring for children. As a result, the financial resources available for household financial asset investment are diminished, and the time for activities such as information gathering and financial asset transactions is squeezed out, ultimately leading to a decrease in household risk asset investment. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that households with self-employed wives (higher income instability), households without a co-resident status with grandparents (more time spent on childcare), and high-income households (stronger willingness to have more children) are more affected by the policy. This study provides new supplements on how fertility policies affect the allocation of household financial assets and proposes constructive suggestions on how to establish a comprehensive system of childcare welfare and alleviate the economic pressure of family childcare in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Major international institutions like the World Bank, African Union, and International Monetary Fund have made the development of robust governance systems a “sacred utterance” since the 1990s. Our study aimed to refute this common thinking by examining how governance structures have affected the expansion of the financial market in 47 African countries from 2008 to 2019. Using the availability of venture capital as a proxy for financial market development, our article departed from existing literature which used stock exchange characteristics as benchmarks for growth in the financial market. The governance variables comprise the six global governance indices: control of corruption, government effectiveness, political stability, regulatory quality, the rule of law, and voice and accountability. The model’s control variables include GDP per capita, inflation, and trade openness. Our finding suggests that a great quality governance climate is significant in explaining the growth of the financial market in Africa using the generalized method of moments (GMM) methodological approach with corrected standard errors. Considering these findings, our research makes the case that solid institutional frameworks might encourage the degree of financial systems growth in Africa. Therefore, the financial development rate in the African region will be significantly influenced by improving the quality of governance through strengthening legal and institutional frameworks to facilitate financial inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study empirically examines factors affecting the different stages of CBDC adoption using a sample of 55 countries engaged in CBDC projects from 2014 to 2021. The findings indicate that anti-money laundering and terrorist financing and the financial market development, inflation and technological factors are critical determinants of CBDC adoption at different stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research study examined the influence of financial market development on the shadow economy and the moderating effect of country risk (political, economic, and financial) in this nexus in Pakistan. Using data from 1995 to 2018, the study applied the Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) and Phillips-Perron (PP) unit root tests, followed by the F-bounds test to investigate stationarity and cointegration in the series, respectively. The study utilized the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) approach to estimate the long-run relationship, and to examine the possible causal relationship among the variables, the study employed Breitung and Candelon's (2006) spectral test. The study identified that financial market development is negative, and the country's risk determinants are positively associated with the shadow economy's size. Moreover, the study found that country risk positively moderates the influence of financial market development on the shadow economy. The results also highlighted a unidirectional relationship from economic and financial risk towards the shadow economy. Finally, based on the empirical findings, the study recommends some policy implications to the regulators of financial markets and the shadow economy.

This paper examines the impact of financial market development, financial crises and deposit insurance on bank risk based on macro data of 86 countries during the period 1998-2014. The results show that banking sector development and stock market development have opposing effects on bank risk measured as bank non-performing loan ratio. The introduction of an explicit deposit insurance system plays a significant role in reducing banks' risk. However, the bank market development after the introduction of this system also increases banks' risk. The impact of financial market development and deposit insurance system on banks' risk was more significant before the 2008 financial crisis. It is found that there is a nonlinear relationship between financial market development, deposit insurance, financial crises and banks' risk. The stock market development has an asymmetric effect on banks' risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subject of this paper is an analysis of the correlation between the financial market's development level and the level of economic growth. The paper also quantitatively tests a model that describes the impact of the financial market on economic growth. More specifically, it aims to provide the creators of the economic policies and financial markets regulators with a better understanding of the financial market's role in explaining the variance in the gross domestic product. The paper analyzes the correlation between financial market development level and market capitalization per listed company in 56 countries from 2016 to 2020, using two linear regression models and two panel regressions. The results of the analysis suggest that there is a strong positive correlation between the analyzed variables. These findings indicate that the stock market capitalization can reliably estimate the gross domestic product. Thus, the key implication of the paper is for the policymakers who should strive to stimulate the stock market development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, we examine how the quality of institutions promotes financial market development (FMD) in 21 emerging markets (classified by the Financial Times Stock Exchange Group). The moderating role of culture is also empirically tested. For this purpose, a balance panel dataset of 21 emerging markets from 1984 to 2020 is utilized from various secondary data sources. The study applies two-stages least square regression with the instrumental variable, and lag transformation to overcome the endogeneity problem in the nexus of institutions and finance, which is least focused on in prior literature. The empirical findings show that institutional quality and the national culture promote FMD in these economies. The main findings are consistent with law and finance, and financial socialization theories. We argue that academics, policymakers, and researchers should comprehend the critical role of institutional and cultural indicators in forming an effective financial system that may lead to sustainable economic development. This research contributes to the literature on emerging markets in this helpful paradigm. We conclude that quality institutions play a critical role in magnifying the FMD of emerging markets. It is crucial to comprehend the connection between FMD and institutions, as the growth dividend from financial development can be boosted by strengthening institutions and understanding the culture. Our results are robust to alternative measures of institutions and FMD and the correction of potential endogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the impact of monetary policy efficiency (MPE) and financial market development (FMD) on financial stability using the credit gap as a proxy. New datasets were constructed for the MPE of 63 developing economies from 1990:Q1 to 2021:Q4. The panel homogeneity assumption was verified using the Chow and Roy-Zellner tests, and the findings showed that the model was not homogenous. Thus, the pooled mean group (PMG) estimator was used. The empirical results revealed that MPE and FMD significantly impacted the credit gap. The effects of MPE and FMD on financial stability were as substitutes. Since the sample was divided into two groups: high and low-middleincome nations, the conclusion was robust, and the negative connection between the variables remained. In addition, a dynamic panel estimation was also applied, which found significant effects of MPE and FMD on the credit gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of regulatory systems varies between transition and non-transition economies. This suggests that they provide different incentives for entrepreneurial development and could have varied effects on the economy because they have different methods to deal with market failure. However, limited empirical evidence exists to prove the assumption of dichotomy. Using comprehensive data for institutional quality, labor market and financial market development, this research sought to analyze their effect on employment growth at micro level. The results show that the quality of institutions in transition economies are poorer relative to those in non-transition economies, but their financial and labor markets are more developed than the latter. Further analysis for the transition sample shows that the three variables are individually positively related with employment growth. For the non-transition sample, institutional quality and labor market flexibility bear a positive and significant effect on employment. Financial market development enters the model with a negative coefficient when regressed alone, but a joint test of significance finds that all the variables have a positive effect on employment growth. This result could imply that there is interdependence between institutional quality, labor flexibility and financial market development in firm-employment-growth relationship, or complementarity between regulations and the quality of institutions. Alternatively, this finding suggests that a stringently regulated credit market in non-transition economies have a selection effect-allocating credit only to entrepreneurs who already demonstrate strong growth potential. In sum, despite differences in the evolution of regulatory environment between the two samples, both of them complement employment growth at firm level. The overall implication of these findings is that less rigid regulations and coherent policies that are enforced with impartiality provide incentives for firms to expand.

The paper investigated the impact of financial development on CO2 emissions in Nigeria from 1981 to 2019. In the process of investigating the impact, Augmented Dickey-Fuller and Philip Perron, as well as the Zivot-Andrew structural breaks, unit root tests were applied. Their results indicated that financial development, level of income, and CO2 emissions were stationary at the first difference and that of Zivot-Andrew structural breaks indicated a mixture of integration. Cointegration relationship among the variables was established through autoregressive distributed lag model bounds test. The autoregressive distributed lag model long-and-short run models results indicated that financial development and income level significantly negatively impact the CO2 emissions. The suggestion based on these results is that financial development and income level help in financing clean projects in the long-and-short runs. The Granger causality result revealed bidirectional causality from financial development to CO2 emissions, income level to CO2 emissions, and financial development to income level. The variance decomposition analysis indicates that financial development and income level have contributed less to CO2 emissions, and impulse response function results revealed that CO2 emissions respond negatively to shocks in financial development and income level. Therefore, we recommend expanding the Nigerian financial market in financing clean projects for a clean environment alongside checking income generation activities that bring about emissions of CO2, such as burning trees for charcoal production in the forest, among others. Keywords: Financial Market Development, CO2 Emissions, ARDL Approach JEL: G20, Q53, C32

Over the past decades, financial markets have been integrated across countries while income inequality has increased in most countries. This paper studies the effect of financial market integration on income inequality and investigates whether this effect varies with the degree of financial market development. We find empirical evidence that financial market integration and financial market development interact to change income inequality. Specifically, the effect of financial market integration on income inequality is nonlinear, and the degree of financial market development plays an important role. Opening financial markets worsens income inequality in the countries holding the underdeveloped state of financial markets, however, the effect of capital account openness on income inequality is statistically insignificant in the countries with developed financial markets.

This study examined the interactions between financial market development, taxation propensity, and economic growth in OECD and non-OECD countries for the period 1961–2019. The aim was to investigate whether there is temporal causality between these variables. Using dynamic panel data modelling, we found long- and short-run inter-linkages between the variables. The study's most robust finding is that both financial market development and taxation propensity stimulate economic growth in the long run. In contrast, the short-run results are not uniform and depend on the specific measure of financial market development used. Overall, the empirical results suggest that an integrated policy approach in developing financial markets and elevating countries' taxation propensity will contribute to the economic growth of both the OECD and non-OECD countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the nexus between investor protection and dividend policy for 517 listed nonfinancial firms operating in Asian countries between the period 2008 and 2017. The dynamic panel data model (System‐GMM) reveals that stronger investor protection is associated with higher dividend payouts, and firms increase dividends, specifically in response to the rise of the extent of disclosure and director liability and also ease of shareholder suits. Besides, results highlight that firms pay out fewer dividends in cases of growth opportunity particularly in environments with stronger investor protection, a more developed financial market, and a common‐law system. Results are robust when alternative specifications are implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the effect of macroeconomic stability, transparent government policies, and anti-monopoly policies on financial market development using extensive panel data of 113 countries over the period 2007 to 2017. By applying ARDL-PMG and controlling for GDP, trade openness, and market size, our findings reveal that macroeconomic stability fosters financial market development in both developing and developed countries. Effective transparency policies facilitate the link between macroeconomic stability and financial market development in the long-run. Furthermore, we find that anti-monopoly policies curb corruption and bureaucratic power to improve financial markets in the short-run. Still, a higher level of competition is more vulnerable to information asymmetry and adverse selection in the long-run.

Money laundering has a direct impact, among other things, on the economic development of a country. The aim of this research is to determine the correlation between money laundering and economic development expressed through GDP, as well as between financial market development (FDI) and the Human Development Index (HDI). The results of the research show that there was a significant relationship between the observed variables, i.e. that there is a relation of the Anti-Money Laundering Index (AMLI) on GDP, financial market development and the HDI. Namely, given that medium-strong links between the observed variables have been established, it can be claimed that there is reason to believe that "copying the behaviour" of a certain country in the fight against money laundering can further develop the financial market, influence human development or an increase in GDP per capita. In particular, a decrease in the AMLI was expected to increase the FDI (R2 = 0.2601). A decrease in the AMLI was expected to increase the HDI (R2 = 0.5747). In that way, financial institutions are directly affected, which negatively relates to economic and political stability.

The necessity of legislative definition of the economic category «investor» is considered in the article, the importance of internal investments for the economy of the country is given, the definition of«individual portfolio investor» is given. The current capacity of the life insurance market is shown, the volumes of client accounts from brokers and mutual fund accounts are indicated, the ways of attracting an internal investor to the domestic financial market are outlined.

This paper provides evidence of the role that financial market development and institutional quality play in the integration of European Union (EU) life insurance markets. It analyzes ten EU life insurance markets over a seventeen-year sample period. The meta-technology cost/revenue efficiency ratios, estimated under the meta-frontier DEA framework, are used as a measure of integration and the analysis is conducted by applying Tobit panel regression models. We find that national stock market development and institutional quality enhance cost performance and integration of EU life insurance markets. Results also show that in countries where bancassurance is the main life insurance distribution channel, banking sector development contributes to integration in terms of revenue efficiency. However, we find that better outcomes in national institutional quality decrease the meta-technology revenue efficiency ratio, suggesting that life insurance prices are lower in countries with better institutions. • First evidence of country factors influencing integration of EU insurance markets. • Stock market development enhances integration of EU life insurance markets. • Institutional quality increases cost performance of EU life insurance markets. • Bancassurance architecture offers benefits for integration improvement. • Institutional quality decreases the meta-technology revenue efficiency ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of regulatory systems varies between transition and non-transition economies. This suggests that they provide different incentives for entrepreneurial development and could have varied effects on the economy because they have different methods to deal with market failure. However, limited empirical evidence exists to prove the assumption of dichotomy. Using comprehensive data for institutional quality, labor market and financial market development, this research sought to analyze their effect on employment growth at micro level. The results show that the quality of institutions in transition economies are poorer relative to those in non-transition economies, but their financial and labor markets are more developed than the latter. Further analysis for the transition sample shows that the three variables are individually positively related with employment growth. For the non-transition sample, institutional quality and labor market flexibility bear a positive and significant effect on employment. Financial market development enters the model with a negative coefficient when regressed alone, but a joint test of significance finds that all the variables have a positive effect on employment growth. This result could imply that there is interdependence between institutional quality, labor flexibility and financial market development in firm-employment-growth relationship, or complementarity between regulations and the quality of institutions. Alternatively, this finding suggests that a stringently regulated credit market in non-transition economies have a selection effect-allocating credit only to entrepreneurs who already demonstrate strong growth potential. In sum, despite differences in the evolution of regulatory environment between the two samples, both of them complement employment growth at firm level. The overall implication of these findings is that less rigid regulations and coherent policies that are enforced with impartiality provide incentives for firms to expand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This article aims to investigate the relationship between stock liquidity and dividend across emerging market countries as well as examined the moderating role of financial market development on the relationship between stock liquidity and dividend. Data were obtained from the World Bank and DataStream databases. The study examined 3,258 listed firms from 22 emerging markets to be extrapolated in the emerging market context. To analyse the data, this article used the panel data Tobit model and panel logistic regression, both with random effects. The analysis revealed that financial market development has a positive moderating effect on the relationship between stock liquidity and dividend by improving local market liquidity and mitigating information asymmetry. The study findings provide information for managers to devise investment strategy in the emerging markets. This article provides new insights into the financial market development moderating role on the relationship between stock liquidity and dividend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study an underexplored research question, namely whether financial market development in both host and source countries has an effect on bilateral stocks of foreign direct investment (FDI) and, particularly, whether the effect of financial market development in one member of the country pair conditions the effect of financial market development in the other member. We estimate gravity‐type models in a global sample of 43 source and 137 host countries over the period 2001–12. We address reverse causality concerns by restricting the sample to observations where reverse causality, if existent, should be less relevant. Our major and robust findings are that bilateral FDI increases with better developed financial markets in both the host and the source country and that for developing host countries, financial market development in source and host countries functions as substitutes for each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study identifies the mechanisms through which the financial market affects CO 2. • The sustainability mechanism helps mitigate emissions. • The production mechanism triggers environmental degradation. • The beneficial effect dominates degradation once political corruption is considered. This study suggests an indirect effect of the financial markets on the environment and explores the transmission mechanisms through which financial market development affects carbon emissions in China. We identify three key mechanisms: i) sustainability, ii) production, and iii) consumption. Our results document that the sustainability mechanism helps mitigate emissions whereas the production mechanism triggers environmental degradation, and the impact of the latter is greater than the former in magnitude. However, once the negative externality of political corruption on financial market development is considered, the beneficial environmental effect dominates the degradation effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial imbalance is the reason of a macroeconomic instability. This study aims at identifying the institutional causes of financial markets imbalance. The authors consider that financial intermediaries in Ukraine work in a speculative market segment carrying out high-risk transactions with the purpose of earning a huge profit. In fact, in Ukraine the role of these institutions in the investment process financing is insignificant. The authors show that soundness of banks along with the ease of access to loans and a low level of confidence in national banking system are the main reasons of instability in financial market in Ukraine. Due to scarcity of financial capacity and refusal to carry out transactions in a high-risk market segments, insurance companies are unable to entirely perform functions of risk redistribution. Competitiveness of Ukrainian financial market remains low with a limited financial services nomenclature and it may be considered to be attractive for potential foreign investors.

The debate about the influence of financial market development on economic growth has been ongoing for more than a century. Since Schumpeter [1912] wrote about the happenings on Lombard Street there has been growing interest in the way financial market development affects economic activity and growth. As development issues have deepened, inquiry into the finance-growth nexus has also grown, with recent research focusing on various aspects of financial crisis and developments in the BRICS economies. This study investigates the influence of financial market development on the higher growth of BRICS as compared to non-BRICS counterparts. The research utilizes the Generalised Method of Moments and an extended endogenous growth model to estimate the influence of a set of financial market indicators. We find that higher private sector levels of credit and financial depth in the BRICS economies contributed to the economic growth of those economies.

This study provides an empirical investigation to test one of the transmission channels of resource curse, i.e. financial environment. Our panel data analysis of 70 countries from 2006 to 2014 shows a negative and statistically significant association between oil rent and the quality of financial environment in developing countries, but a positive relationship in developed countries. These findings are robust when we control for other major drivers of financial environment quality, unobservable country- and time-fixed effects. In addition, our main results show that institutional quality, among other independent variables, has a major statistically significant effect on financial environment.

This study examines the relationship between FDI and financial market development (FMD) in the existence of other aspects, i.e., governance, social, and macroeconomic variables. The study uses the annual panel data of four emerging South Asian countries, i.e., Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, from 1994 to 2016. Panel ARDL model is used to examine the long run and short-run relationship, while correlation and causality analysis is used to examine the relationship between FDI and FMD variables. Results show that exchange rate, governance, inflation, and real GDP growth rate are the significant predictors of FDI in South Asian countries, while FDI, education, real GDP growth rate, balance, exchange rate, and inflation are the main determinants of FMD. A positive correlation exists between FDI and FMD variables. However, bi-directional causality exists between CREDIT and FDIGDP, while no causality exists between CCB and FDIGDP; however, one-way causality exists from STKMKRTCAP and STKVOLTRA to FDIGDP. Our study suggests that countries having better governance have an edge in attracting FDI to the country. However, we have not been able to exploit the benefits, and the policymakers need to devise appropriate policies to attract FDI in South Asian countries.

To the extent of our knowledge, there is a gap in scrutinizing the impacts of the country's risk and global uncertainty on Asian firms' cash holdings. Therefore, this work aims to shed light on this gap by choosing 989 listed non-financial Asian firms and performing both the static (fixed-effects) and dynamic (Difference-GMM and System-GMM) panel data methods between 2008 and 2020. The findings reveal that an increase in a country's risk and global uncertainty stimulates firms to stockpile more cash though the impact of country risk is more pronounced. Likewise, the results underscore that among the country risk factors, firms have more precautionary motives to stockpile more cash with increases in financial and political instability while they hold more cash with rises in economic stability. Remarkably, the results emphasize that the impacts of country risk and global uncertainty on cash holdings are more prominent in environments characterized by common-law legal origin, high uncertainty avoidance cultures, and less financial market development. Moreover, the results reveal that firm-specific factors including growth opportunity, leverage, profitability, dividend, and size have an important role in shaping Asian firms' cash holdings policy., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Economic growth, urbanization, and financial market development (FMD) may increase energy demand in any economy. Non-renewable sources of energy consumption, i.e., oil consumption and natural gas consumption (NGC), could have environmental consequences. We examine the effects of economic growth, urbanization, and FMD on the oil consumption and NGC in Middle East countries using the period 1975–2019. In the panel results, we found a positive effect of income and a negative effect of income-squared on oil and natural gas consumption. Hence, we corroborate the existence of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis in oil and natural gas consumption models of the Middle East region. Urbanization has a positive effect on oil and natural gas consumption. FMD has a positive effect on oil consumption and has a negative effect on NGC. From the long-run, country-specific results, we validate the existence of the EKC hypothesis in the oil consumption models of Iran and Iraq. The EKC is also found in the natural gas consumption models of Iran, Kuwait, and the UAE. From the short-run results, the EKC hypothesis is validated in the oil consumption models of Iran, Iraq, and Israel. The EKC is also corroborated in the NGC models of Iran, Kuwait, and the UAE. In the long run, urbanization has a positive effect on oil consumption in Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. Further, urbanization has a positive effect on the NGC in Iraq, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. Conversely, urbanization has a negative effect on oil consumption in Israel. In the short run, urbanization has a positive effect on oil consumption in Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, and Qatar. Moreover, urbanization has a positive effect on the NGC in Iraq. On the other hand, urbanization has a negative effect on oil consumption in Saudi Arabia and Iran. In the long run, FMD has a positive effect on oil consumption in Saudi Arabia and Israel. In the short run, FMD has a positive effect on oil consumption in Israel, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. In contrast, FMD has a negative effect on oil consumption in the UAE. Moreover, a positive effect of FMD on NGC is found in the UAE. However, FMD has a negative effect on the NGC in Israel.

This study examines the relationship between FDI and financial market development (FMD) in the existence of other aspects, i.e., governance, social, and macroeconomic variables. The study uses the annual panel data of four emerging South Asian countries, i.e., Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, from 1994 to 2016. Panel ARDL model is used to examine the long run and short-run relationship, while correlation and causality analysis is used to examine the relationship between FDI and FMD variables. Results show that exchange rate, governance, inflation, and real GDP growth rate are the significant predictors of FDI in South Asian countries, while FDI, education, real GDP growth rate, balance, exchange rate, and inflation are the main determinants of FMD. A positive correlation exists between FDI and FMD variables. However, bi-directional causality exists between CREDIT and FDIGDP, while no causality exists between CCB and FDIGDP; however, one-way causality exists from STKMKRTCAP and STKVOLTRA to FDIGDP. Our study suggests that countries having better governance have an edge in attracting FDI to the country. However, we have not been able to exploit the benefits, and the policymakers need to devise appropriate policies to attract FDI in South Asian countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]