ARE STOCK PRICES AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITY COINTEGRATED? EVIDENCE FROM THE US, 1950–2005

The potential cointegrating relationship between stock prices and economic activity suggested by financial and economic theory is examined. It is found that the commonly employed tests of Engle and Granger (1987) and Johansen (1988) fail to detect cointegration between stock prices and industrial production for a long span of US data. In recognition of factors which may result in a failure to detect a genuine cointegrating relationship, the analysis is extended to consider higher-powered cointegration tests, tests which allow for structural change in the cointegrating relationship and tests of asymmetric cointegration. However, despite considering a range of tests, no evidence of cointegration is detected. The results therefore do not support the predictions of financial and economic theory.