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The 2007 financial crisis significantly altered stock market risk, particularly across the industrial, utility, and banking sectors. This study examines how market volatility and sector composition shifted during and after the crisis, using U.S. and G12 stock market data from 1996 to 2014. It finds that sector-specific risk (measured by beta values) increased in industrials, remained stable or rose in utilities, and was closely linked to banking sector distress. Additionally, countries where the banking sector had higher pre-crisis risk levels experienced greater industrial sector volatility during the crisis.

Methodology

• Data: U.S. and G12 stock market indices (Industrials, Utilities, Banks) from 1996–2014.

• Market Risk Model: Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) was used to measure sector risk.

• Crisis Impact Measurement: Introduced a dummy variable for the financial crisis to assess beta changes.

• Cross-Country Comparison: Evaluated differences in sector risk based on each country's crisis severity.

• Robustness Check: Used additional macroeconomic controls to validate results.

Key Findings

1. Industrials Became Riskier Post-Crisis

Beta Values Increased:

• Industrials exhibited higher beta values during the financial crisis, indicating greater sensitivity to market volatility.

• This suggests that investors saw industrial stocks as more vulnerable in times of financial distress.

Composition Effect:

• The increased beta values were not solely due to fundamental changes in industrials.

• Rather, the collapse of banking stocks shifted overall market composition, increasing industrials’ relative market weight and risk exposure.

Funding Challenges:

• Higher sector risk discouraged investment, making it harder for industrial firms to secure capital.

2. Banking Sector Contagion Effect

Pre-Crisis Beta as a Predictor:

• Countries where banks had higher pre-crisis beta values experienced greater industrial sector volatility during the crisis.

Financial Contagion:

• The findings support a contagion effect, where banking distress spilled over into the industrial sector, increasing its market risk.

• This suggests that financial sector instability can significantly disrupt the broader economy.

3. Mixed Impact on Utilities

Safe-Haven Status:

• Utilities are typically viewed as low-risk, defensive assets during crises.

• However, beta changes varied by country, with some seeing higher risk rather than the expected stability.

Market Structure Influence:

• In some cases, utilities’ beta values rose due to market-wide shifts rather than intrinsic sector weakness.

Majority Trend:

• While most markets saw utilities remain stable, some experienced increased risk exposure, challenging the assumption that utilities always act as safe havens.

4. Limitations in the Data & Model

CAPM’s Simplicity:

• While CAPM is widely used, it does not account for all risk factors, limiting its explanatory power.

Country-Specific Crisis Timing:

• The crisis did not begin at the same time in every country, making exact comparisons difficult.

Sample Constraints:

• Using only G12 data may limit broader applicability to other global markets.

The 2007 financial crisis fundamentally altered sector risk, particularly in industrials, banks, and utilities. Industrial sector risk increased due to shifts in market composition and banking contagion effects, while utilities showed a mix of stable and rising risk levels depending on country-specific factors. The findings emphasize that banking crises do not remain isolated but spill over into other sectors, reshaping stock market risk across industries.