An analysis of the impact of COVID-19 outbreak on BIST sector indices

The Coronavirus Outbreak, which has affected the whole world, has taken its place among the important historical events of the 21st century. With this pandemic, which will be considered as a historical event in the future, health systems and economies in the world have faced a great crisis. In this study, firstly, pandemics that have emerged in the historical process and their economic effects are revealed. Then, the emergence process of the coronavirus pandemic, which is experienced today and has very significant negative economic effects, and its effect on financial markets, Turkey and World Economies are briefly discussed. In line with the main purpose of the study, the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the BIST sector indices were analyzed. According to the results of the analysis, it was observed that the average returns of the sectors decreased when compared to the pre-pandemic period. In addition, it has been found that the degree of influence of the sectors is different. In this context, policy recommendations have been made in order to reduce the economic effects of both the current and future pandemics.