COVID -19 IMPACT ON FINANCIAL MARKETS: EVIDENCE FROM G7 COUNTRIES

The COVID - 19 shock is severe and its severity is even more when compared to the Great Financial Crisis. Yet, the effect of the COVID - 19 on the stock markets and financial markets has never been studied in depth in recent times. This research is carried out to study the impact of the global pandemic Corona Virus on the Financial Markets from 1st March 2020 to 30th April 2020 in G7 countries. The study applied a Simple regression and Correlation model to investigate the impact of the COVID - 19 on the Financial Markets during the period 1st March 2020 to 30th April 2020 in G7 countries. The study used the Cotation Assistée en Continu (CAC) index for France, Deutscher Aktienindex (DAX) index for Germany, Milano Indice di Borsa (FTSE MIB) index for Italy, NIKKEI index for Japan, Dow Jones index (DJI NYSE) for USA, FTSE 100 for UK and TSX index for Canada. In the process of studying the impact of Corona Virus on the stock markets the study assumes the confirmed cases of COVID-19 to be the independent variable while CAC index, DAX index, FTSE MIB index, DJI NYSE index, FTSE 100 and TSX index to be dependent variables. The study findings revealed that there is a positive significant relationship between the COVID - 19 confirmed cases and all the financial markets from 1st March 2020 to 30th April 2020 in G7 countries.