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Decreased price clustering in FTSE100 futures contracts following a transfer from floor to electronic trading

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  • Owain ap Gwilym
  • Evamena Alibo

Abstract

The issues of price clustering and electronic trading have triggered important recent debates, and generated interest from regulators due to their potential implications for market quality, stability, and fairness. This paper brings together these issues by examining whether price‐clustering behavior differs following a transfer of futures contracts from open outcry trading to an electronic system. The results are unique in demonstrating a structural change in price clustering following the move to automated trading, with the level of price clustering dropping from around 98.5% of prices at even ticks under floor trading to approximately 75% under electronic trading. Such a change in pricing behavior amounts to a reduction in the effective tick size, and is an important factor in reducing observed bid‐ask spreads. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 23:647–659, 2003

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  • Owain ap Gwilym & Evamena Alibo, 2003. "Decreased price clustering in FTSE100 futures contracts following a transfer from floor to electronic trading," Journal of Futures Markets, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 23(7), pages 647-659, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:jfutmk:v:23:y:2003:i:7:p:647-659
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    2. Chiarucci, Riccardo & Loffredo, Maria I. & Ruzzenenti, Franco, 2017. "Evidences for a structural change in the oil market before a financial crisis: The flat horizon effect," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 912-921.
    3. Christopher L. Gilbert & Herbert A. Rijken, 2006. "How is Futures Trading Affected by the Move to a Computerized Trading System? Lessons from the LIFFE FTSE 100 Contract," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(7‐8), pages 1267-1297, September.
    4. 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.
    5. Gunther Capelle-Blancard & Mo Chaudhury, 2007. "Price clustering in the CAC 40 index options market," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) halshs-00265668, HAL.
    6. Ashton, John K. & Hudson, Robert S., 2008. "Interest rate clustering in UK financial services markets," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 32(7), pages 1393-1403, July.
    7. Robert Brooks & Edwyna Harris & Yovina Joymungul, 2013. "Price clustering in Australian water markets," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(6), pages 677-685, February.
    8. Karan Bhanot & Valeria Martinez & Zi Ning & Yiuman Tse, 2008. "Competition for Order Flow and Market Quality in the Gold and Silver Futures Markets," Working Papers 0036, College of Business, University of Texas at San Antonio.
    9. Ahmed Baig & Benjamin M. Blau & Todd G. Griffith, 2021. "Firm Opacity and the Clustering of Stock Prices: the Case of Financial Intermediaries," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 60(2), pages 187-206, December.
    10. Das, Sougata & Kadapakkam, Palani-Rajan, 2020. "Machine over Mind? Stock price clustering in the era of algorithmic trading," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    11. Battalio, Robert & Jennings, Robert & McDonald, Bill, 2021. "Deviations from time priority on the NYSE," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    12. Valeria Martinez & Paramita Gupta & Yiuman Tse & Jullavut Kittiakarasakun, 2011. "Electronic versus open outcry trading in agricultural commodities futures markets," Review of Financial Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 20(1), pages 28-36, January.
    13. Zi Ning & Yiuman Tse, 2009. "Order Imbalance in the FTSE Index Futures Market: Electronic versus Open Outcry Trading," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(1‐2), pages 230-252, January.
    14. Baig, Ahmed S. & Sabah, Nasim, 2020. "Does short selling affect the clustering of stock prices?," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 270-277.
    15. Anwer S. Ahmed & Yiwen Li & Nina Xu, 2020. "Tick Size and Financial Reporting Quality in Small‐Cap Firms: Evidence from a Natural Experiment," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(4), pages 869-914, September.

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