IMF-related announcements and stock market returns: Evidence from financial and non-financial sectors in Indonesia, Korea, and Thailand

We examine the changes in daily financial sector stock returns in Indonesia, Korea, and Thailand in response to IMF-related news during the Asian crisis and compare them with those in non-financial sectors. We find that news of both program negotiations and approval increased financial sector returns in Indonesia and Korea, whereas only program approval is associated with higher returns in the financial sector in Thailand. Sectors such as cyclical consumer goods and non-cyclical services experienced higher returns in Thailand and Indonesia, while almost all sectors enjoyed higher returns in South Korea. We interpret the empirical results based on the characteristics of corporate governance and industrial development policies in these countries.