Political risk and Russian oil stock : A comparison of performance and volatility between leading producers in a global context

Abstract: This paper compares Russian and US oil stock performance in terms of risk adjusted returns and volatility with an emphasis on political risk. This is done through using the Sharpe ratio and expanding the notion of risk-free interest rates to capture different levels of political risk in monetary terms. The comparison is made on the DJUSEN and the MOEXOG during 2011-2019. The result of the study shows that Russian oil stock performed significantly worse than its US equivalent during the period both in terms of risk adjusted returns and volatility. These results are thought to be of importance for financial investors, be they private individuals or institutions.