IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jfinec/v115y2015i2p330-348.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Trading rules, competition for order flow and market fragmentation

Author

Listed:
  • Kwan, Amy
  • Masulis, Ronald
  • McInish, Thomas H.

Abstract

We investigate competition between traditional stock exchanges and new dark trading venues using an important difference in regulatory treatment. Securities and Exchange Commission required minimum pricing increments constrain some stock spreads, causing large limit order queues. Dark pools allow some traders to bypass existing limit order queues with minimal price improvement. Using a regression discontinuity design, we find that spread constraints significantly weaken exchanges׳ competitiveness. As more orders migrate to dark pools, the probability of subsequent order execution there increases, raising liquidity. The ability to circumvent time priority of displayed limit orders is one cause of the rapid rise in US equity market fragmentation.

Suggested Citation

  • Kwan, Amy & Masulis, Ronald & McInish, Thomas H., 2015. "Trading rules, competition for order flow and market fragmentation," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(2), pages 330-348.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfinec:v:115:y:2015:i:2:p:330-348
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfineco.2014.09.010
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304405X14002074
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jfineco.2014.09.010?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Foucault, Thierry, 1998. "Order Flow Composition and Trading Costs in Dynamic Limit Order Markets," CEPR Discussion Papers 1817, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. Peter Iliev, 2010. "The Effect of SOX Section 404: Costs, Earnings Quality, and Stock Prices," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 65(3), pages 1163-1196, June.
    3. David S. Lee & Thomas Lemieux, 2010. "Regression Discontinuity Designs in Economics," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 48(2), pages 281-355, June.
    4. repec:bla:jfinan:v:58:y:2003:i:6:p:2637-2666 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Thompson, Samuel B., 2011. "Simple formulas for standard errors that cluster by both firm and time," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(1), pages 1-10, January.
    6. Seppi, Duane J, 1990. "Equilibrium Block Trading and Asymmetric Information," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 45(1), pages 73-94, March.
    7. Bessembinder, Hendrik, 2003. "Issues in assessing trade execution costs," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 6(3), pages 233-257, May.
    8. Grossman, Sanford J, 1992. "The Informational Role of Upstairs and Downstairs Trading," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 65(4), pages 509-528, October.
    9. Sabrina Buti & Barbara Rindi & Ingrid M. Werner, 2011. "Dark Pool Trading Strategies," Working Papers 421, IGIER (Innocenzo Gasparini Institute for Economic Research), Bocconi University.
    10. McInish, Thomas H & Wood, Robert A, 1992. "An Analysis of Intraday Patterns in Bid/Ask Spreads for NYSE Stocks," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 47(2), pages 753-764, June.
    11. Huang, Roger D. & Stoll, Hans R., 1996. "Dealer versus auction markets: A paired comparison of execution costs on NASDAQ and the NYSE," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(3), pages 313-357, July.
    12. Battalio, Robert H, 1997. "Third Market Broker-Dealers: Cost Competitors or Cream Skimmers?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 52(1), pages 341-352, March.
    13. Tor‐Erik Bakke & Toni M. Whited, 2012. "Threshold Events and Identification: A Study of Cash Shortfalls," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 67(3), pages 1083-1111, June.
    14. Bessembinder, Hendrik & Venkataraman, Kumar, 2004. "Does an electronic stock exchange need an upstairs market?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(1), pages 3-36, July.
    15. Brad M. Barber & Terrance Odean, 2000. "Trading Is Hazardous to Your Wealth: The Common Stock Investment Performance of Individual Investors," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 55(2), pages 773-806, April.
    16. Terrence Hendershott & Haim Mendelson, 2000. "Crossing Networks and Dealer Markets: Competition and Performance," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 55(5), pages 2071-2115, October.
    17. Hans Degryse & Frank de Jong & Vincent van Kervel, 2015. "The Impact of Dark Trading and Visible Fragmentation on Market Quality," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 19(4), pages 1587-1622.
    18. Madhavan, Ananth & Cheng, Minder, 1997. "In Search of Liquidity: Block Trades in the Upstairs and Downstairs Markets," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 10(1), pages 175-203.
    19. O'Hara, Maureen & Ye, Mao, 2011. "Is market fragmentation harming market quality?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(3), pages 459-474, June.
    20. Lee, David S., 2008. "Randomized experiments from non-random selection in U.S. House elections," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 142(2), pages 675-697, February.
    21. Sudheer Chava & Michael R. Roberts, 2008. "How Does Financing Impact Investment? The Role of Debt Covenants," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 63(5), pages 2085-2121, October.
    22. Jonathan Brogaard & Terrence Hendershott & Ryan Riordan, 2014. "High-Frequency Trading and Price Discovery," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 27(8), pages 2267-2306.
    23. Christie William G. & Huang Roger D., 1994. "Market Structures and Liquidity: A Transactions Data Study of Exchange Listings," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 3(3), pages 300-326, June.
    24. G. Geoffrey Booth & Ji-Chai Lin & Teppo Martikainen & Yiuman Tse, 2002. "Trading and Pricing in Upstairs and Downstairs Stock Markets," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 15(4), pages 1111-1135.
    25. Foley, Sean & Putniņš, Tālis J., 2016. "Should we be afraid of the dark? Dark trading and market quality," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 122(3), pages 456-481.
    26. Easley, David & Kiefer, Nicholas M & O'Hara, Maureen, 1996. "Cream-Skimming or Profit-Sharing? The Curious Role of Purchased Order Flow," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 51(3), pages 811-833, July.
    27. Brian F. Smith & D. Alasdair S. Turnbull & Robert W. White, 2001. "Upstairs Market for Principal and Agency Trades: Analysis of Adverse Information and Price Effects," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 56(5), pages 1723-1746, October.
    28. Roger D. Huang, 2002. "The Quality of ECN and Nasdaq Market Maker Quotes," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 57(3), pages 1285-1319, June.
    29. Haoxiang Zhu, 2014. "Do Dark Pools Harm Price Discovery?," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 27(3), pages 747-789.
    30. Comerton-Forde, Carole & Putniņš, Tālis J., 2015. "Dark trading and price discovery," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 118(1), pages 70-92.
    31. Michael R. Roberts & Amir Sufi, 2009. "Control Rights and Capital Structure: An Empirical Investigation," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 64(4), pages 1657-1695, August.
    32. Foucault, Thierry, 1999. "Order flow composition and trading costs in a dynamic limit order market1," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 2(2), pages 99-134, May.
    33. Michael J. Barclay & Terrence Hendershott & D. Timothy McCormick, 2003. "Competition among Trading Venues: Information and Trading on Electronic Communications Networks," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 58(6), pages 2637-2665, December.
    34. Hans R. Stoll, 2000. "Presidential Address: Friction," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 55(4), pages 1479-1514, August.
    35. Bessembinder, Hendrik & Kaufman, Herbert M., 1997. "A cross-exchange comparison of execution costs and information flow for NYSE-listed stocks," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(3), pages 293-319, December.
    36. Hans Degryse & Frank de Jong & Vincent van Kervel, 2015. "The Impact of Dark Trading and Visible Fragmentation on Market Quality," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 19(4), pages 1587-1622.
    37. Joshua D. Rauh, 2006. "Investment and Financing Constraints: Evidence from the Funding of Corporate Pension Plans," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 61(1), pages 33-71, February.
    38. Nimalendran, Mahendrarajah & Ray, Sugata, 2014. "Informational linkages between dark and lit trading venues," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 17(C), pages 230-261.
    39. Pagan, Adrian, 1984. "Econometric Issues in the Analysis of Regressions with Generated Regressors," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 25(1), pages 221-247, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hatheway, Frank & Kwan, Amy & Zheng, Hui, 2017. "An Empirical Analysis of Market Segmentation on U.S. Equity Markets," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 52(6), pages 2399-2427, December.
    2. Peter Gomber & Satchit Sagade & Erik Theissen & Moritz Christian Weber & Christian Westheide, 2017. "Competition Between Equity Markets: A Review Of The Consolidation Versus Fragmentation Debate," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(3), pages 792-814, July.
    3. Gomber, Peter & Sagade, Satchit & Theissen, Erik & Weber, Moritz Christian & Westheide, Christian, 2016. "Spoilt for choice: Order routing decisions in fragmented equity markets," CFR Working Papers 16-04, University of Cologne, Centre for Financial Research (CFR).
    4. Ibikunle, Gbenga & Aquilina, Matteo & Diaz-Rainey, Ivan & Sun, Yuxin, 2021. "City goes dark: Dark trading and adverse selection in aggregate markets," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 1-22.
    5. Suchismita Mishra & Le Zhao, 2021. "Order Routing Decisions for a Fragmented Market: A Review," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-32, November.
    6. Garvey, Ryan & Huang, Tao & Wu, Fei, 2016. "Why do traders choose dark markets?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 12-28.
    7. Comerton-Forde, Carole & Putniņš, Tālis J., 2015. "Dark trading and price discovery," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 118(1), pages 70-92.
    8. Carole Gresse, 2017. "Effects of Lit and Dark Market Fragmentation on Liquidity," Post-Print hal-01631771, HAL.
    9. Ibikunle, Gbenga & Li, Youwei & Mare, Davide & Sun, Yuxin, 2021. "Dark matters: The effects of dark trading restrictions on liquidity and informational efficiency," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    10. Carole Gresse, 2011. "Effects of Lit and Dark Market Fragmentation on Liquidity," Post-Print halshs-00641122, HAL.
    11. Haoxiang Zhu, 2014. "Do Dark Pools Harm Price Discovery?," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 27(3), pages 747-789.
    12. Gomber, Peter & Sagade, Satchit & Theissen, Erik & Weber, Moritz Christian & Westheide, Christian, 2023. "Spoilt for choice: Determinants of market shares in fragmented equity markets," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    13. Buti, Sabrina & Rindi, Barbara & Werner, Ingrid M., 2017. "Dark pool trading strategies, market quality and welfare," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 124(2), pages 244-265.
    14. Gresse, Carole, 2017. "Effects of lit and dark market fragmentation on liquidity," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 1-20.
    15. Ye, Linlin, 2024. "Understanding the impacts of dark pools on price discovery," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    16. Hans Degryse & Frank de Jong & Vincent van Kervel, 2015. "The Impact of Dark Trading and Visible Fragmentation on Market Quality," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 19(4), pages 1587-1622.
    17. Menkveld, Albert J. & Yueshen, Bart Zhou & Zhu, Haoxiang, 2017. "Shades of darkness: A pecking order of trading venues," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 124(3), pages 503-534.
    18. Angelo Carollo & Gabriella Vaglica & Fabrizio Lillo & Rosario N. Mantegna, 2012. "Trading activity and price impact in parallel markets: SETS vs. off-book market at the London Stock Exchange," Quantitative Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(4), pages 517-530, November.
    19. Robert P. Bartlett, III & Justin McCrary, 2015. "Dark Trading at the Midpoint: Pricing Rules, Order Flow, and High Frequency Liquidity Provision," NBER Working Papers 21286, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    20. Michael Brolley, 2020. "Price Improvement and Execution Risk in Lit and Dark Markets," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 66(2), pages 863-886, February.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Market fragmentation; Regression discontinuity; Dark pools; Trade reporting facility;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • G24 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Investment Banking; Venture Capital; Brokerage
    • G28 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Government Policy and Regulation

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jfinec:v:115:y:2015:i:2:p:330-348. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/505576 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.