A Dynamic Relationship between Us Dollar Exchange Rate and Indian Crude Oil Prices: An Empirical Analysis

Abstract

                Present paper investigates the relationship among oil prices and exchange rates in Indian market. Present paper uses two econometrics tools of dependence to establish co-movement amongst the variables viz. Johansen co-integration and Granger Causality tests to demonstrate that the foreign exchange value of the US dollar (Crude oil prices) has a substantial impact on the prices of crude oil (Exchange rate of US dollar) in long-term as well as short-term or not. The results evidenced that data is stationary at first difference order. However, Johansen co-integration suggests no co-integrating equation. It signifies the possibilities to take advantage from arbitrage activities in the long-run through diversification of the investment portfolios in these two non-integrated markets. Granger causality and Wald statistics evidences unidirectional causality flowing from exchange rate to oil prices but not vice-versa. Since exchange rate granger causes the oil prices, the participants in the foreign exchange market can use information of exchange rates to improve the forecast of crude oil prices. The results of present study have policy implications for oil importing countries to frame foreign exchange risk management, fiscal and monetary policies in such a way to control exchange rate induced pressures on crude oil prices as crude oil prices predominantly affect the emerging oil dependent industrialised economies like India.