Capital-flow volatility in emerging markets: A panel GARCH approach

This study analyzes the role of push–pull factors on the level, volatility and comovement of capital flows in emerging markets (EMs). Taking the commonality of capital flows into account, we employ the panel Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedasticity model developed by Cermeño and Grier for 16 EMs. This method not only accounts for country-specific heterogeneity and cross-section dependence but also allows the examination of the sources of the level, volatility and comovement of capital flows in a single step. The results show that domestic factors explain two-thirds of the variation in net capital-flow volatility. While both global and domestic factors, with the prominent ones being global risks and domestic economic growth, influence the comovement, their impacts somewhat vary by the types of capital flows.