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The execution quality of corporate bonds

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  • O’ Hara, Maureen
  • Wang, Yihui
  • (Alex) Zhou, Xing

Abstract

This paper investigates execution quality issues in corporate bond trading. Using an extensive sample of bond trades by insurance companies, we find that an insurance company entering a trade of similar size and on the same side for the same bond on the same day with the same dealer will receive a better price if the insurance company is a more active trader than if it is a less active trader. Trading with the dominant dealer or underwriter worsens these differentials, while greater transparency and smaller trading networks lessens these effects. Our results provide strong evidence that execution quality differences remain pervasive in corporate bond trading.

Suggested Citation

  • O’ Hara, Maureen & Wang, Yihui & (Alex) Zhou, Xing, 2018. "The execution quality of corporate bonds," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 130(2), pages 308-326.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfinec:v:130:y:2018:i:2:p:308-326
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfineco.2018.06.009
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    Cited by:

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    2. O'Hara, Maureen & Alex Zhou, Xing, 2021. "The electronic evolution of corporate bond dealers," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 140(2), pages 368-390.
    3. Fabozzi, Frank J. & Klingler, Sven & Mølgaard, Pia & Nielsen, Mads Stenbo, 2021. "Active loan trading," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 46(C).
    4. Gabor Pinter & Chaojun Wang & Junyuan Zou, 2024. "Size Discount and Size Penalty: Trading Costs in Bond Markets," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 37(7), pages 2156-2190.
    5. Pierre Collin‐Dufresne & Benjamin Junge & Anders B. Trolle, 2020. "Market Structure and Transaction Costs of Index CDSs," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 75(5), pages 2719-2763, October.
    6. Lin, Saiyan & Chen, Rongda & Lv, Zhihong & Zhou, Tianqing & Jin, Chenglu, 2019. "Integrated measurement of liquidity risk and market risk of company bonds based on the optimal Copula model," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    7. Han, Song & Huang, Alan Guoming & Kalimipalli, Madhu & Wang, Ke, 2022. "Information and liquidity of over-the-counter securities: Evidence from public registration of Rule 144A bonds," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 59(PB).
    8. Gino Cenedese & Pasquale Della Corte & Tianyu Wang, 2021. "Currency Mispricing and Dealer Balance Sheets," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 76(6), pages 2763-2803, December.
    9. Baviera, Roberto & Nassigh, Aldo & Nastasi, Emanuele, 2021. "A closed formula for illiquid corporate bonds and an application to the European market," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    10. Florian Nagler & Giorgio Ottonello, 2022. "Inventory-Constrained Underwriters and Corporate Bond Offerings [Signalling by underpricing in the IPO market]," The Review of Asset Pricing Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 12(3), pages 639-666.
    11. Czech, Robert & Pintér, Gábor, 2020. "Informed trading and the dynamics of client-dealer connections in corporate bond markets," Bank of England working papers 895, Bank of England, revised 20 Jan 2022.
    12. Schultz, Paul & Song, Zhaogang, 2019. "Transparency and dealer networks: Evidence from the initiation of post-trade reporting in the mortgage backed security market," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 133(1), pages 113-133.
    13. Nikolova, Stanislava & Wang, Liying & Wu, Juan (Julie), 2020. "Institutional allocations in the primary market for corporate bonds," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 137(2), pages 470-490.
    14. Kubitza, Christian, 2021. "Investor-driven corporate finance: Evidence from insurance markets," ICIR Working Paper Series 43/21, Goethe University Frankfurt, International Center for Insurance Regulation (ICIR).
    15. Pinter, Gabor & Uslu, Semih, 2023. "Price formation in markets with trading delays," Bank of England working papers 1023, Bank of England.
    16. Kamate, Vidya & Kumar, Abhishek, 2024. "Dealer networks, client sophistication and pricing in OTC derivatives," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    17. Goldstein, Michael A. & Hotchkiss, Edith S., 2020. "Providing liquidity in an illiquid market: Dealer behavior in US corporate bonds," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(1), pages 16-40.
    18. Pintér, Gábor & Wang, Chaojun & Zou, Junyuan, 2022. "Information chasing versus adverse selection," Bank of England working papers 971, Bank of England.
    19. Ge, Shan & Weisbach, Michael S., 2021. "The role of financial conditions in portfolio choices: The case of insurers," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 142(2), pages 803-830.
    20. Wang, Chaojun, 2023. "The limits of multi-dealer platforms," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 149(3), pages 434-450.
    21. O'Hara, Maureen & Zhou, Xing (Alex), 2021. "Anatomy of a liquidity crisis: Corporate bonds in the COVID-19 crisis," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 142(1), pages 46-68.
    22. Simon Jurkatis & Andreas Schrimpf & Karamfil Todorov & Nicholas Vause, 2023. "Relationship discounts incorporate bond trading," BIS Working Papers 1140, Bank for International Settlements.
    23. Pierre Collin-Dufresne & Benjamin Junge & Anders B. Trolle, 2018. "Market Structure and Transaction Costs of Index CDSs," Swiss Finance Institute Research Paper Series 18-40, Swiss Finance Institute.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Execution quality; Corporate bonds; Market microstructure; Dealer market; Trading network; Transparency;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G10 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - General (includes Measurement and Data)
    • G18 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • G23 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Non-bank Financial Institutions; Financial Instruments; Institutional Investors
    • G24 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Investment Banking; Venture Capital; Brokerage

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