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Catch me if you can. Can human observers identify insiders in asset markets?

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  • Stöckl, Thomas
  • Palan, Stefan

Abstract

Securities regulators around the globe face the challenge of identifying trades based on privileged information. We study human observers’ ability to identify informed traders and investigate which trading patterns are indicative of informed trading using experimental asset markets. We furthermore test how the behavioral response of informed traders to the threat of detection and punishment impacts observers’ detection abilities. We find that market trading data carries information which correlates with informed trading activity. Observers partly succeed in recognizing and using this information to identify informed traders.

Suggested Citation

  • Stöckl, Thomas & Palan, Stefan, 2018. "Catch me if you can. Can human observers identify insiders in asset markets?," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 1-17.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joepsy:v:67:y:2018:i:c:p:1-17
    DOI: 10.1016/j.joep.2018.04.004
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Zhao, Wandi & Gao, Yang, 2023. "Network connectedness and the contagion structure of informed trading: Evidence from the time and frequency domains," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Insider regulation; Insider detection; Asset market; Experiment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C92 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Group Behavior
    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading

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