Capital market determinants and market capitalization in Nigeria

Abstract

Capital market plays a crucial role in a country's national development and economic capacity building. However, there are economic forces that determine the success of a capital market development in every nation. This study investigates the role of these economic indicators in determining the capital market performance in Nigeria using secondary data covering a period from 1998 to 2018. These data have been sourced from the World Bank Development Indicators, International Monetary Fund and CBN Statistical Bulletin, 2018 edition. The results from the regression analysis indicate that exchange rate and inflation rate have immaterial undesirable consequence on capital market capitalization (CMC) while the interest rate exerts a weighty harmful effect on CMC. The study also provides evidence that the gross domestic product (GDP) has a substantial positive impact on CMC. The study among others suggests that the growth of the economy should be sustained in order to keep boosting the capital market. However, the economic indicators such as inflation, interest rate and exchange rate should be kept under strict control by the relevant authorities in the country.