The Impact of Earthquakes on the Domestic Stock Market

2013 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 325-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bert Scholtens ◽  
Yvonne Voorhorst

How do financial markets respond to the impact of earthquakes? We investigate this for more than 100 earthquakes with fatalities in 21 countries from five continents in the period 1973–2011. Using an event study methodology we conclude that there are significant negative effects on stock market value. We find that the stock market's response to earthquakes is more pronounced in recent years than in the 1970s and 1980s. There is no difference in the responses to the most and least severe earthquakes or to those in high-income and low-income countries. There is hardly a significant difference in the response to earthquakes in German law–based countries and English or French law–based countries. This suggests that the stock market is not very sensitive regarding key characteristics of earthquakes.

2020 ◽  
pp. archdischild-2020-320616
Author(s):  
Matko Marlais ◽  
Tanja Wlodkowski ◽  
Samhar Al-Akash ◽  
Petr Ananin ◽  
Varun Kumar Bandi ◽  
...  

BackgroundChildren are recognised as at lower risk of severe COVID-19 compared with adults, but the impact of immunosuppression is yet to be determined. This study aims to describe the clinical course of COVID-19 in children with kidney disease taking immunosuppressive medication and to assess disease severity.MethodsCross-sectional study hosted by the European Rare Kidney Disease Reference Network and supported by the European, Asian and International paediatric nephrology societies. Anonymised data were submitted online for any child (age <20 years) with COVID-19 taking immunosuppressive medication for a kidney condition. Study recruited for 16 weeks from 15 March 2020 to 05 July 2020. The primary outcome was severity of COVID-19.Results113 children were reported in this study from 30 different countries. Median age: 13 years (49% male). Main underlying reasons for immunosuppressive therapy: kidney transplant (47%), nephrotic syndrome (27%), systemic lupus erythematosus (10%). Immunosuppressive medications used include: glucocorticoids (76%), mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) (54%), tacrolimus/ciclosporine A (58%), rituximab/ofatumumab (11%). 78% required no respiratory support during COVID-19 illness, 5% required bi-level positive airway pressure or ventilation. Four children died; all deaths reported were from low-income countries with associated comorbidities. There was no significant difference in severity of COVID-19 based on gender, dialysis status, underlying kidney condition, and type or number of immunosuppressive medications.ConclusionsThis global study shows most children with a kidney disease taking immunosuppressive medication have mild disease with SARS-CoV-2 infection. We therefore suggest that children on immunosuppressive therapy should not be more strictly isolated than children who are not on immunosuppressive therapy.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilson Mupfururirwa ◽  
Victoria Nembaware ◽  
Jack Morrice ◽  
Khuthala Mnika ◽  
Gaston Kuzamunu Mazandu ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND The impact of mobile phones and their applications in healthcare (mobile health) is well established for a range of diseases and cross-cutting complications, such as pain. While numerous mobile health (mHealth) pain interventions have been established, an evaluation of their prevalence, adequacy and distribution remains limited. OBJECTIVE This study aims at reviewing and comparing current pain management mHealth tools in high- versus low-income countries. METHODS A literature and application (app) store search was conducted in May 2021 using combinations of the following keywords: “pain management”, “pain”, “mobile health”, “telemedicine”, and “app”. Literature searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Review Library, and Google scholar. App store searches were conducted in Google Play and Apple App Store. Data characteristics descriptive analysis was performed using R software to summarize different datasets and compute p-values (P) for testing the significance of different hypotheses with the significance level set to 0.05. RESULTS The search identified 40 publications (literature search) and 230 mHealth applications (app store search), revealing a non uniform distribution of search categories (χ2= 133.7, P < 0.004) with a ratio approximating 1:6 (OR = 5.730, 95%CI:3.745-8.909, P < 0.004). About 86.7% of these 270 applications (apps) are from high-income countries, showing a statistically significant non uniform distribution of country categories: high- and low-income (χ2= 145.2, P < 0.004) approximating the theoretical distribution of a 7:1 ratio (OR = 6.476, 95%CI:4.180-10.222, P < 0.004). Moreover, there is no significant difference in the proportion of search categories between country categories ( χ2= 0.113, P = 0.737) and the difference in pain app prevalence in high- versus low-income countries is not statistically significant. Finally, we have observed that pain-tracking apps are significantly more prevalent in developed countries in comparison to low-income countries. CONCLUSIONS As expected, pain management app prevalence is higher in high-income countries. However, more research is required to readily comprehend the effectiveness of these apps.


2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-67
Author(s):  
Wing Him Yeung ◽  
Yilisha Pang ◽  
Asad Aman

South–South cooperation has been on the rise in recent years. One of the latest examples is the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) proposed by the Chinese and Pakistani governments in 2013. Using event study methodology, this article examines the impact of events and announcements associated with CPEC on the Pakistan Stock Exchange in Pakistan and the Shanghai Stock Exchange in China. The first key finding of this article is that the initial announcement associated with CPEC had stronger and positive short-term impact on the Pakistan Stock Exchange in comparison with the impact of subsequent CPEC events on the stock market. The second key finding is that the short-term impact of the CPEC initial announcement was stronger on the Pakistan Stock Exchange than on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, possibly due to the substantial difference in the size of the two economies. The empirical results of this article have important implications for investors, corporations and regulators to the Global South.


2015 ◽  
Vol 03 (01) ◽  
pp. 08-18
Author(s):  
Zaheer Khan ◽  
◽  
Sahar Zeast ◽  

This study was an attempt to analyze the impact of general and presidential elections on stock market returns of Karachi Stock Exchange. The event study methodology was employed and the data from 1997 to 2013 was used to identify the impact. This study investigated the impact of general and presidential elections held in Pakistan individually and collectively. The results established that there was a significant impact of elections on stock market returns of Karachi Stock Exchange.


2018 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 70-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Cristina Arcuri ◽  
Marina Brogi ◽  
Gino Gandolfi

A widely debated issue in recent years is cybercrime. Breaches in the security of accessibility, integrity and confidentiality of information involve potentially high explicit and implicit costs for firms. This paper investigates the impact of information security breaches on stock returns. Using event-study methodology, the study provides empirical evidence on the effect of announcements of cyber-attacks on the market value of firms from 1995 to 2015. Results show that substantial negative market returns occur following announcements of cyber-attacks. Financial entities often suffer greater negative effects than other companies and non-confidential cyber-attacks are the most dangerous, especially for the financial sector. Overall findings seem to show a link between cybercrime and insider trading


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 31 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Luis Ruiz ◽  
Marcelo Barrero

The 2010 Chilean earthquake and tsunami were among the strongest in the world history. The exogeneity of these natural disasters provides the opportunity to test stock price reactions. Using a sample of 42 firms listed in the Santiago Stock Exchange, we develop an event study methodology considering heterogeneity in volatility. Chilean stock market volatility increased by 240% (120%) during the 5 (11) trading days after the earthquake. The results are informative about the behavior of the stock prices: returns are positive in sectors the retail, real estate, and banking sectors and negative in food, steel, and forestry. Insurance coverage decreases the impact on economic growth.


Author(s):  
Giorgia Gon ◽  
Abdunoor M. Kabanywanyi ◽  
Petri Blinkhoff ◽  
Simon Cousens ◽  
Stephanie J. Dancer ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Healthcare associated infections (HAI) are estimated to affect up to 15% of hospital inpatients in low-income countries (LICs). A critical but often neglected aspect of HAI prevention is basic environmental hygiene, particularly surface cleaning and linen management. TEACH CLEAN is an educational intervention aimed at improving environmental hygiene. We evaluated the effectiveness of this intervention in a pilot study in three high-volume maternity and newborn units in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Methods This study design prospectively evaluated the intervention as a whole, and offered a before-and-after comparison of the impact of the main training. We measured changes in microbiological cleanliness [Aerobic Colony Counts (ACC) and presence of Staphylococcus aureus] using dipslides, and physical cleaning action using gel dots. These were analysed with descriptive statistics and logistic regression models. We used qualitative (focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and semi-structured observation) and quantitative (observation checklist) tools to measure why and how the intervention worked. We describe these findings across the themes of adaptation, fidelity, dose, reach and context. Results Microbiological cleanliness improved during the study period (ACC pre-training: 19%; post-training: 41%). The odds of cleanliness increased on average by 1.33 weekly during the pre-training period (CI = 1.11–1.60), and by 1.08 (CI = 1.03–1.13) during the post-training period. Cleaning action improved only in the pre-training period. Detection of S. aureus on hospital surfaces did not change substantially. The intervention was well received and considered feasible in this context. The major pitfalls in the implementation were the limited number of training sessions at the hospital level and the lack of supportive supervision. A systems barrier to implementation was lack of regular cleaning supplies. Conclusions The evaluation suggests that improvements in microbiological cleanliness are possible using this intervention and can be sustained. Improved microbiological cleanliness is a key step on the pathway to infection prevention in hospitals. Future research should assess whether this bundle is cost-effective in reducing bacterial and viral transmission and infection using a rigorous study design.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Atif Awad

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the long-run impact of selected foreign capital inflows, including aid, remittances, foreign direct investment (FDI), trade and debt, on the economic growth of 21 low-income countries in the Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) region, during the period 1990–2018. Design/methodology/approach To obtain this objective and for robust analysis, a parametric approach, which was dynamic ordinary least squares, and a non-parametric technique, which was fully modified ordinary least squares, were used. Findings The results of both models confirmed that, in the long run, trade and aid affected the growth rate of the per capita income in these countries in a positive way. However, external debt seemed to have an adverse influence on such growth. Originality/value First, this is the initial study that has addressed this matter across a homogenous group of countries in the SSA region. Second, while most of the previous studies regarding capital inflows into the SSA region have focused on the impact of only one or two aspects of such foreign capital inflows on growth, the present study, instead, examined the impact of five types of foreign capital inflows (aid, remittances, FDI, trade and debt).


2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 140-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordan D. Lane ◽  
John Mugamba ◽  
Peter Ssenyonga ◽  
Benjamin C. Warf

Object Antibiotic-impregnated shunts have yet to find widespread use in the developing world, largely due to cost. Given potential differences in the microbial spectrum, their effectiveness in preventing shunt infection for populations in low-income countries may differ and has not been demonstrated. This study is the first to compare the efficacy of a Bactiseal shunt system with a non–antibiotic-impregnated system in a developing country. Methods The Bactiseal Universal Shunt (BUS) was placed in 80 consecutive Ugandan children who required a shunt. In this retrospective cohort study, the outcome for that group was compared with the outcome for the immediately preceding 80 consecutive children in whom a Chhabra shunt had been placed. The primary end points were shunt failure, shunt infection, and death. Shunt survival was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Significance of differences between groups was tested using the log-rank test, chi-square analysis, Fisher's exact test, and t-test. Results There was no difference between groups in regard to age, sex, or etiology of hydrocephalus. Mean follow-up for cases of nonfailure was 7.6 months (median 7.8 months, interquartile range 6.5–9.5 months). There was no significant difference between groups for any end point. The BUS group had fewer infections (4 vs 11), but the difference was not significant (p = 0.086, log-rank test). Gram-positive cocci were the most common culturable pathogens in the Chhabra group, while the only positive culture in the BUS group was a gram-negative rod. Conclusions These results provide equipoise for a randomized controlled trial in the same population and this has been initiated. It is possible that the observed trends may become significant in a larger study. The more complex task will involve determining not only the efficacy, but also the cost-effectiveness of using antibiotic-impregnated shunt components in limited-resource settings.


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