Inter-market timing between Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand / Nur Syuhada Zakaria

The purpose of this study to examines potential gain for perfect inter-market timing between Malaysia and Singapore and Malaysia and Thailand from Malaysian investor's perspective. Potential gain could be obtained from such timing strategy, and the non-high minimum forecasting ability required for successful timing is fairly attainable for Malaysian investors even after taking into account the assumed transaction costs. The Sharpe Index, average return, standard deviation, coefficient of variance and correlation coefficient are used in this study with continuous stock price data from the year 2003 until July 2007. The result of the study stated that there is relationship between timing in stock market movement and buy-and-hold strategy. This is due to the potential gain provided in the market timing strategy compared to buy-and-hold. The finding also reveal there is a relationship between transaction costs and market timing strategy because the transaction cost is used to measure the return in perfect market timing. When the transaction costs increase, return perfect market timing decline. These finding is similar with the studies done by Sharpe (1975), Alizera Kaster,(1990) and Wong et. al (2000).