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The Highest Price Ever: The Great NYSE Seat Sale of 1928–1929 and Capacity Constraints

Author

Listed:
  • Davis, Lance E.
  • Neal, Larry
  • White, Eugene

Abstract

During the 1920s the New York Stock Exchange's position as the dominant American exchange was eroding. Costs to customers, measured as bid-ask spreads, spiked when surging inflows of orders collided with the constraint created by a fixed number of brokers. The NYSE's management proposed and the membership approved a 25 percent increase in the number of seats by issuing a quarter-seat dividend to all members. An event study reveals that the aggregate value of the NYSE rose in anticipation of improved competitiveness. These expectations were justified as bid-ask spreads became less sensitive to peak volume days.

Suggested Citation

  • Davis, Lance E. & Neal, Larry & White, Eugene, 2007. "The Highest Price Ever: The Great NYSE Seat Sale of 1928–1929 and Capacity Constraints," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 67(3), pages 705-739, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jechis:v:67:y:2007:i:03:p:705-739_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Neal, Larry & White, Eugene N., 2012. "The Glass–Steagall Act in historical perspective," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 52(2), pages 104-113.
    2. White, Eugene N., 2013. "Competition among the exchanges before the SEC: was the NYSE a natural hegemon?," Financial History Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 20(1), pages 29-48, April.
    3. Alexandru Preda, 2012. "The Social Closure of the Stock Exchange," Chapters, in: Geoffrey Poitras (ed.), Handbook of Research on Stock Market Globalization, chapter 6, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    4. Jose A. Scheinkman, 2013. "Speculation, Trading and Bubbles Third Annual Arrow Lecture," Working Papers 1458, Princeton University, Department of Economics, Econometric Research Program..
    5. Pierre-Cyrille Hautcoeur & Amir Rezaee & Angelo Riva, 2018. "Competition among Securities Markets," Working Papers halshs-01863942, HAL.
    6. Moser, Petra, 2012. "Taste-based discrimination evidence from a shift in ethnic preferences after WWI," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 49(2), pages 167-188.
    7. Pierre-Cyrille Hautcoeur & Amir Rezaee & Angelo Riva, 2023. "Competition between securities markets: stock exchange industry regulation in the Paris financial center at the turn of the twentieth century," Cliometrica, Springer;Cliometric Society (Association Francaise de Cliométrie), vol. 17(2), pages 261-299, May.
    8. Bernard Mcsherry & Berry K. Wilson & James J. Mcandrews, 2017. "Net Settlement and Counterparty Risk: Evidence from the Formation of the New York Stock Exchange Clearing House in 1892," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 49(6), pages 1273-1298, September.
    9. Bruno Biais & Richard Green, 2019. "The Microstructure of the Bond Market in the 20th Century," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 33, pages 250-271, July.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • N2 - Economic History - - Financial Markets and Institutions
    • G2 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services

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