Figure 2 reveals that correlations between stock market and exchange rate market are negative for all countries throughout the sample period. These negative values of correlation are intensified during the Asian and Global financial crises, and the 2001 recession (see Table 5). Reduced international competitiveness may be responsible for the negative correlations between the stock market and the exchange rate market. The depreciation of the exchange rate degenerates price competitiveness worsening the current account, and lowers real output, and current and future cash flows of firms. Ultimately, stock prices fall. This effects become stronger in the presence of a financial crisis in which a free fall of the exchange rate occurs, or capital outflows are lowered in case of a fixed exchange regime as operated by Malaysia following the Asian financial crisis. In addition, in well-developed financial markets like Singapore, the linkage between the stock market and the foreign exchange markets may be sensitive to international capital mobility and financial market deepening. In this case, a rise in interest rate differential leads to a higher negative correlation between stock returns and exchange rate. In countries like Thailand, the Philippines, and Malaysia, there are still some obstacles
that prevent capital mobility and free movement of exchange rates. Asset portfolios in these countries may be less sensitive to correlations between the stock market and the foreign exchange rate market. Thus, there are limited opportunities and benefits for international investors and markets in the region to allocate capital more efficiently.