Abstract

This paper examines the price discovery mechanism at the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange (DSE) in Tanzania. The objective is to explain the efficiency of price discovery in relation to its dynamics and deterministic market features, using the All Sector Index (ASI). Our results provide evidence of inefficient price discovery at the Exchange, associated with some moments of structural shifts. Moreover, the inefficient price discovery is corroborated by the fact that the Index does not follow a random walk. These finding are consistent with our investigation of the main features of the market: inactive trading, illiquidity, high dependence on foreign investors to boost market activities, investors’ dependence on dividend as the main source of income rather than stock trading, uncompetitive trading among brokers, and motives for more returns from alternative portfolio investments in government securities. Generally, the findings have strong implications for market participants and policy makers at the DSE and similar markets.

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