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An experimental study of circuit breakers: The effects of mandated market closures and temporary halts on market behavior

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  • Ackert, Lucy F.
  • Church, Bryan
  • Jayaraman, Narayanan

Abstract

This paper analyzes the effect of circuit breakers on price behavior, trading volume, and profit-making ability in a market setting. We conduct nine experimental asset markets to compare behavior across three regulatory regimes: market closure, temporary halt, and no interruption. The presence of a circuit breaker rule does not affect the magnitude of the absolute deviation in price from fundamental value or trading profit. The primary driver of behavior is information asymmetry in the market. By comparison, trading activity is significantly affected by the presence of a circuit breaker. Mandated market closures cause market participants to advance trades.
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  • Ackert, Lucy F. & Church, Bryan & Jayaraman, Narayanan, 2001. "An experimental study of circuit breakers: The effects of mandated market closures and temporary halts on market behavior," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 4(2), pages 185-208, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finmar:v:4:y:2001:i:2:p:185-208
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    1. He, Qing & Gan, Jingyun & Wang, Shuwan & Chong, Terence Tai-Leung, 2019. "The effects of trading suspensions in China," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    2. Cheng Xiang & Jing Lu, 2023. "Magnet effects of circuit breakers in electronic order‐driven markets: Evidence from China," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(2), pages 1450-1469, April.
    3. Li, Zeguang & Hou, Keqiang & Zhang, Chao, 2021. "The impacts of circuit breakers on China's stock market," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    4. Jacopo Magnani & David Munro, 2020. "Dynamic runs and circuit breakers: an experiment," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 23(1), pages 127-153, March.
    5. Xu, Hai-Chuan & Zhang, Wei & Liu, Yi-Fang, 2014. "Short-term market reaction after trading halts in Chinese stock market," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 401(C), pages 103-111.
    6. James Brugler & Oliver Linton, 2014. "Single stock circuit breakers on the London Stock Exchange: do they improve subsequent market quality?," CeMMAP working papers CWP07/14, Centre for Microdata Methods and Practice, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    7. Daphne Yan Du & Qianqiu Liu & S. Ghon Rhee, 2009. "An Analysis of the Magnet Effect under Price Limits," International Review of Finance, International Review of Finance Ltd., vol. 9(1‐2), pages 83-110, March.
    8. Michael A. Goldstein & Kenneth A. Kavajecz, "undated". "Liquidity Provision during Circuit Breakers and Extreme Market Movements," Rodney L. White Center for Financial Research Working Papers 01-00, Wharton School Rodney L. White Center for Financial Research.
    9. Robert Merl, 2021. "Literature Review of Experimental Asset Markets with Insiders," Working Paper Series, Social and Economic Sciences 2021-04, Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences, Karl-Franzens-University Graz.
    10. Imtiaz Mohammad Sifat & Azhar Mohamad, 2019. "Circuit breakers as market stability levers: A survey of research, praxis, and challenges," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 24(3), pages 1130-1169, July.
    11. Wang, Steven Shuye & Xu, Kuan & Zhang, Hao, 2019. "A microstructure study of circuit breakers in the Chinese stock markets," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    12. Darren Duxbury, 2005. "Experimental evidence on trading behavior, market efficiency and price formation in double auctions with unknown trading duration," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(8), pages 475-497.
    13. Hsieh, Ping-Hung & Kim, Yong H. & Yang, J. Jimmy, 2009. "The magnet effect of price limits: A logit approach," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 16(5), pages 830-837, December.
    14. Sifat, Imtiaz Mohammad & Mohamad, Azhar, 2020. "A survey on the magnet effect of circuit breakers in financial markets," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 138-151.
    15. Lucy F. Ackert & Bryan K. Church & Narayanan Jayaraman, 2002. "Circuit breakers with uncertainty about the presence of informed agents: I know what you know . . . I think," FRB Atlanta Working Paper 2002-25, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
    16. Zhang, Xiaotao & Wang, Ziqiao & Hao, Jing & He, Feng, 2022. "Price limit and stock market quality: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in the Chinese stock market," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    17. James Brugler & Oliver Linton, 2014. "Circuit Breakers on the London Stock Exchange: Do they improve subsequent market quality?," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 1453, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    18. Hai-Chuan Xu & Wei Zhang & Yi-Fang Liu, 2013. "Short-term Market Reaction after Trading Halts in Chinese Stock Market," Papers 1309.1138, arXiv.org, revised Jun 2014.
    19. Du, Yan & Liu, Qianqiu & Rhee, S. Ghon, 2006. "An Anatomy of the Magnet Effect: Evidence from the Korea Stock Exchange High-Frequency Data," CEI Working Paper Series 2005-17, Center for Economic Institutions, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    20. Merl, Robert, 2022. "Literature review of experimental asset markets with insiders," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 33(C).
    21. Feng Zhao & Youzhi Xiao, 2023. "Information Searching from New Media and Households’ Investment in Risky Assets: New Evidence from a Quasi-Natural Experiment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-25, February.
    22. Xu, Qiuhua & Yan, Haoyang & Zhao, Tianyu, 2022. "Contagion effect of systemic risk among industry sectors in China’s stock market," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    23. Dean Johnson & Patrick Joyce, 2012. "Bubbles and Crashes Revisited," Review of Economics & Finance, Better Advances Press, Canada, vol. 2, pages 29-42, August.
    24. Bao, Zhengyang & Kalaycı, Kenan & Leibbrandt, Andreas & Oyarzun, Carlos, 2020. "Do regulations work? A comprehensive analysis of price limits and trading restrictions in experimental asset markets with deterministic and stochastic fundamental values," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 59-84.

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