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High‐Frequency Trading and Market Performance

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  • MARKUS BALDAUF
  • JOSHUA MOLLNER

Abstract

We study the consequences of, and potential policy responses to, high‐frequency trading (HFT) via the tradeoff between liquidity and information production. Faster speeds facilitate HFT, with consequences for this tradeoff: Information production decreases because informed traders have less time to trade before HFTs react, but liquidity (measured by the bid‐ask spread) improves because informational asymmetries decline. HFT also pushes outcomes inside the frontier of this tradeoff. However, outcomes can be restored to the frontier by replacing the limit order book with one of two alternative mechanisms: delaying all orders except cancellations or implementing frequent batch auctions.

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  • Markus Baldauf & Joshua Mollner, 2020. "High‐Frequency Trading and Market Performance," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 75(3), pages 1495-1526, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jfinan:v:75:y:2020:i:3:p:1495-1526
    DOI: 10.1111/jofi.12882
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    3. Ziyi Xu & Xue Cheng, 2023. "The Effects of High-frequency Anticipatory Trading: Small Informed Trader vs. Round-Tripper," Papers 2304.13985, arXiv.org, revised Feb 2024.
    4. Liu, Wei, 2021. "Can HFT profit in Chinese stock market?," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 209(C).
    5. Haas, Marlene & Khapko, Mariana & Zoican, Marius, 2021. "Speed and learning in high-frequency auctions," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    6. Chih-Chen Hsu & Chung-Gee Lin & Tsung-Jung Kuo, 2020. "Pricing of Arithmetic Asian Options under Stochastic Volatility Dynamics: Overcoming the Risks of High-Frequency Trading," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 8(12), pages 1-16, December.
    7. Nicholas Hirschey, 2021. "Do High-Frequency Traders Anticipate Buying and Selling Pressure?," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(6), pages 3321-3345, June.
    8. Corey Garriot & Ryan Riordan, 2020. "Trading on Long-term Information," Staff Working Papers 20-20, Bank of Canada.
    9. Mark Marner-Hausen, 2022. "Developing a Framework for Real-Time Trading in a Laboratory Financial Market," ECONtribute Discussion Papers Series 172, University of Bonn and University of Cologne, Germany.
    10. Li, Sida & Ye, Mao & Zheng, Miles, 2023. "Refusing the best price?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 147(2), pages 317-337.
    11. Chuliá, Helena & Mosquera-López, Stephania & Uribe, Jorge M., 2023. "Nonlinear market liquidity: An empirical examination," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    12. Baldauf, Markus & Mollner, Joshua, 2022. "Fast traders make a quick buck: The role of speed in liquidity provision," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    13. Matteo Aquilina & Sean Foley & Peter O'Neill & Matteo Thomas Ruf, 2023. "Sharks in the dark: quantifying HFT dark pool latency arbitrage," BIS Working Papers 1115, Bank for International Settlements.
    14. Suchismita Mishra & Le Zhao, 2021. "Order Routing Decisions for a Fragmented Market: A Review," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-32, November.
    15. Khapko, Mariana & Zoican, Marius, 2021. "Do speed bumps curb low-latency investment? Evidence from a laboratory market," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    16. Eric M. Aldrich & Daniel Friedman, 2023. "Order Protection Through Delayed Messaging," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 69(2), pages 774-790, February.
    17. Sagade, Satchit & Scharnowski, Stefan & Westheide, Christian, 2022. "Broker colocation and the execution costs of customer and proprietary orders," SAFE Working Paper Series 366, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE.
    18. Michael Goldstein & Amy Kwan & Richard Philip, 2023. "High-Frequency Trading Strategies," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 69(8), pages 4413-4434, August.
    19. Ziyi Xu & Xue Cheng, 2022. "Are Large Traders Harmed by Front-running HFTs?," Papers 2211.06046, arXiv.org, revised Jul 2023.
    20. Ekinci, Cumhur & Ersan, Oğuz, 2022. "High-frequency trading and market quality: The case of a “slightly exposed” market," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    21. Aquilina, Matteo & Budish, Eric B. & O'Neill, Peter, 2020. "Quantifying the High-Frequency Trading "Arms Race": A Simple New Methodology and Estimates," Working Papers 300, The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, George J. Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State.
    22. Eibelshäuser, Steffen & Smetak, Fabian, 2022. "Frequent batch auctions and informed trading," SAFE Working Paper Series 344, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE.

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