The impact of Covid-19 pandemic outbreak on the Egyptian firms' stock returns : evidence from emerging countries

Abstract EN

The COVID-19 pandemic is considered one of the most severe contagious infectious experienced by the world during the 21^st century.

This pandemic has economic, social, and psychological consequences that need years to recover again.

Therefore, this paper aims to verify the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Egyptian firms' stock returns.

Using historical data of listed firms in EGX 30 index during the period from 16^th February 2020 to 21^st May 2020, the results reveal that stock returns across all listed firms in EGX 30 index have been significantly negatively affected of both the daily growth in total confirmed cases and in total confirmed deaths.

In addition, Egyptian firms' stock returns are negatively associated with daily cumulative COVID-19 cases and positively to daily cumulative COVID-19 deaths.