*Article* **Return and Volatility Transmission between World-Leading and Latin American Stock Markets: Portfolio Implications**

**Imran Yousaf 1, Shoaib Ali 1 and Wing-Keung Wong 2,3,4,\***


Received: 20 May 2020; Accepted: 3 July 2020; Published: 8 July 2020

**Abstract:** This study uses the BEKK-GARCH model to examine the return-and-volatility spillover between the world-leading markets (USA and China) and four emerging Latin American stock markets over the global financial crisis of 2008 and the crash of the Chinese stock market of 2015. Regarding return spillover, our findings reveal a unidirectional return transmission from Mexico to the US stock market during the global financial crisis. During the crash of the Chinese stock market, the return spillover is found to be unidirectional from the US to the Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Peru stock markets. Moreover, the results indicate a unidirectional return transmission from China to the Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Peru stock markets during the global financial crisis and the crash of the Chinese stock market. Regarding volatility spillover, the results show the bidirectional volatility transmission between the US and the stock markets of Chile and Mexico during the global financial crisis. During the Chinese crash, the bidirectional volatility transmission is observed between the US and Mexican stock markets. Furthermore, the volatility spillover is unidirectional from China to the Brazil stock market during the global financial crisis. During the Chinese crash, the volatility spillover is bidirectional between the China and Brazil stock markets. Lastly, a portfolio analysis application has been conducted.

**Keywords:** return spillover; volatility spillover; optimal weights; hedge ratios; US financial crisis; Chinese stock market crash

**JEL Classification:** G10; G11; G12; G15
