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Imperfect Competition in Financial Markets: An Empirical Study of Island and Nasdaq

Author

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  • Bruno Biais

    (Toulouse School of Economics (IDEI, CNRS, CRM), Toulouse University, 31000 Toulouse, France)

  • Christophe Bisière

    (Toulouse School of Economics (IAE, IDEI, CRM), Toulouse University, 31000 Toulouse, France)

  • Chester Spatt

    (Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213)

Abstract

The competition between Island and Nasdaq at the beginning of the century offers a natural laboratory to study competition between and within trading platforms and its consequences for liquidity supply. Our empirical strategy takes advantage of the difference between the pricing grids used on Island and Nasdaq, as well as of the decline in the Nasdaq tick. Using the finer grid prevailing on their market, Island limit order traders undercut Nasdaq quotes, much more than they undercut one another. The drop in the Nasdaq tick size triggered a drop in Island spreads, despite the Island tick already being very thin before Nasdaq decimalization. We also estimate a structural model of liquidity supply and find that Island limit order traders earned rents before Nasdaq decimalization. Our results suggest that perfect competition cannot be taken for granted, even on transparent open limit order books with a very thin pricing grid.

Suggested Citation

  • Bruno Biais & Christophe Bisière & Chester Spatt, 2010. "Imperfect Competition in Financial Markets: An Empirical Study of Island and Nasdaq," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 56(12), pages 2237-2250, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:56:y:2010:i:12:p:2237-2250
    DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.1100.1243
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    4. Bruno Biais & Christophe Bisière & Sébastien Pouget, 2014. "Equilibrium Discovery and Preopening Mechanisms in an Experimental Market," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 60(3), pages 753-769, March.
    5. Friederich, Sylvain & Payne, Richard, 2015. "Order-to-trade ratios and market liquidity," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 214-223.
    6. Degryse, H.A. & de Jong, F.C.J.M. & van Kervel, V.L., 2011. "The Impact of Dark and Visible Fragmentation on Market Quality (Replaces EBC Discussion Paper 2011-013)," Other publications TiSEM 3ff46941-c3ff-4ba4-9a5b-d, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    7. Thanos Verousis & Pietro Perotti & Georgios Sermpinis, 2018. "One size fits all? High frequency trading, tick size changes and the implications for exchanges: market quality and market structure considerations," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 50(2), pages 353-392, February.
    8. Hong Liu & Yajun Wang, 2019. "Asset Pricing Implications of Short-Sale Constraints in Imperfectly Competitive Markets," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 65(9), pages 4422-4439, September.
    9. Degryse, H.A. & de Jong, F.C.J.M. & van Kervel, V.L., 2011. "The Impact of Dark and Visible Fragmentation on Market Quality (Replaces CentER Discussion Paper 2011-051)," Other publications TiSEM f9895511-3b4b-4db5-bf34-1, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    10. Liu, Hong & Wang, Yajun, 2016. "Market making with asymmetric information and inventory risk," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 73-109.
    11. 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.
    12. Comerton-Forde, Carole & Grégoire, Vincent & Zhong, Zhuo, 2019. "Inverted fee structures, tick size, and market quality," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 134(1), pages 141-164.
    13. 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).
    14. Mike Derksen & Bas Kleijn & Robin de Vilder, 2020. "Effects of MiFID II on stock price formation," Papers 2003.10353, arXiv.org, revised Aug 2020.
    15. Hoffmann, Peter, 2016. "Adverse selection, market access, and inter-market competition," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 108-119.
    16. Degryse, H.A. & de Jong, F.C.J.M. & van Kervel, V.L., 2014. "The impact of dark trading and visible fragmentation on market quality," Other publications TiSEM a51b5d9e-2687-4972-930f-4, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    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. Semyon Malamud & Marzena Rostek, 2017. "Decentralized Exchange," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 107(11), pages 3320-3362, November.
    19. Sean Foley & Tom G Meling & Bernt Arne Ødegaard, 2023. "Tick Size Wars: The Market Quality Effects of Pricing Grid Competition," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 27(2), pages 659-692.
    20. Rahi, Rohit & Zigrand, Jean-Pierre, 2013. "Market quality and contagion in fragmented markets," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 60971, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    21. Meling, Tom Grimstvedt & Odegaard, Bernt Arne, 2016. "Tick Size Wars," UiS Working Papers in Economics and Finance 2016/15, University of Stavanger.
    22. 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.

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