Exchange Rate Exposure: Evidence from Finnish Stock Returns

Abstract

This study investigates the presence of exchange rate exposure of stock returns in sector based portfolios of the Finnish stock market. The traditional exposure model is extended to allow for the possibility of asymmetric behavior in the exposure pattern as well as the presence of second moment exposure, i.e., the impact of second moment foreign exchange volatility on stock returns. The investigation covers daily stock returns over the period 1992-2000 for nine Finnish sectors namely, basic materials, cyclical consumer, energy, financial, industrial, non-cyclical consumer, technology, utilities, and other. In all instances exposure is assessed with respect to the U.S. dollar.