Relationship Between Interest Rates, Exchange Rate and Investor Sentiment in Turkey

Abstract

Purpose: Investor sentiment in financial markets has a close relationship with the general mood prevailing in the environment such as economic, social and political life. Future economic expectations are important for both investors and policymakers. Investor sentiment and macroeconomic variables are likely to affect each other. Emerging countries are particularly sensitive to interest and foreign exchange risk. Turkey is an important emerging country. The effects of interest rate and exchange fluctuations are high in this country. The aim of this study is to reveal the relationship between investor sentiment and interest and foreign exchange rates in Turkey.

Methodology: This study investigates the relationship between economic confidence index, exchange rates and interest rates in Turkey during the period between January 2012 and November 2019 using monthly data sets. The economic confidence index is used to represent the investor sentiment in the study. Interest rate variables are the deposit interest rates and the commercial credit interest rates. The representative of the US dollar currency variables is included in the analysis. This chapter used the time series vector error correction model approach of stationarity test, cointegration test and Granger causality test.

Findings: According to the causality test, there is a two-way relationship between economic confidence index and exchange rate, and there is uni-directional causality from commercial credit interest rate to economic confidence index. The results show that foreign exchange and commercial credit interest rate variables are carefully monitored by market players and are effective and influential in the formation of future expectations.

Originality/value: The study shows the direction of the relationship between economic confidence foreign exchange and commercial credit interest rate. Policymakers can shape expectations by taking into account the direction of the relationship.

Citation

Vurur, N.S. (2020), "Relationship Between Interest Rates, Exchange Rate and Investor Sentiment in Turkey", Özen, E. and Grima, S. (Ed.) Uncertainty and Challenges in Contemporary Economic Behaviour (Emerald Studies in Finance, Insurance, and Risk Management), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 127-138. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80043-095-220201010