IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eme/qrfmpp/qrfm-04-2021-0057.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Tunisian corporate bond market liquidity: a qualitative approach

Author

Listed:
  • Olfa Berrich
  • Halim Dabbou

Abstract

Purpose - This study aims to explore the failures of Tunisian secondary corporate bond market liquidity to understand the determinants of corporate bond market liquidity at large. Design/methodology/approach - We adopted a qualitative approach to studying the Tunisian Stock Exchange. Dealers’ perceptions were collected through semi-structured face-to-face interviews; the data was recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed. Findings - Secondary corporate bond market failures are due, in part, to microstructural choices – especially the use of an over-the-counter market as a trading venue. The absence of a corporate bond yield curve, a narrow investor base, market participants’ lack of financial education and authorities’ attitudes are equally responsible. Research limitations/implications - This study is useful to researchers, policymakers and practitioners, as it identifies microstructural and other factors affecting the Tunisian secondary corporate bond market. We interviewed only Tunisian dealers while ignoring other categories of market participants. Furthermore, a focus group discussion could have improved our understanding of the determinants of the Tunisian secondary corporate bond market. Originality/value - This paper aimed to qualitatively discuss several issues related to the Tunisian secondary corporate bond market. To date, little academic research has addressed this topic in the illiquid and non-transparent corporate bond markets.

Suggested Citation

  • Olfa Berrich & Halim Dabbou, 2023. "Tunisian corporate bond market liquidity: a qualitative approach," Qualitative Research in Financial Markets, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 15(5), pages 795-819, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:qrfmpp:qrfm-04-2021-0057
    DOI: 10.1108/QRFM-04-2021-0057
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/QRFM-04-2021-0057/full/html?utm_source=repec&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=repec
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers
    File URL: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/QRFM-04-2021-0057/full/pdf?utm_source=repec&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=repec
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1108/QRFM-04-2021-0057?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Syamala, Sudhakara Reddy & Wadhwa, Kavita & Goyal, Abhinav, 2017. "Determinants of commonality in liquidity: Evidence from an order-driven emerging market," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 38-52.
    2. Gündüz, Yalin & Ottonello, Giorgio & Pelizzon, Loriana & Schneider, Michael & Subrahmanyam, Marti G., 2018. "Lighting up the dark: Liquidity in the German corporate bond market," SAFE Working Paper Series 230, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE.
    3. Jacob Gyntelberg & Guonan Ma & Eli M Remolona, 2005. "Corporate bond markets in Asia," BIS Quarterly Review, Bank for International Settlements, December.
    4. Michael A. Goldstein & Edith S. Hotchkiss & Erik R. Sirri, 2007. "Transparency and Liquidity: A Controlled Experiment on Corporate Bonds," Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 20(2), pages 235-273.
    5. 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.
    6. Darrell Duffie, 2012. "Over-The-Counter Markets," Introductory Chapters, in: Dark Markets: Asset Pricing and Information Transmission in Over-the-Counter Markets, Princeton University Press.
    7. Abudy, Menachem Meni, 2020. "Retail investors’ trading and stock market liquidity," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    8. Ulf Brüggemann & Aditya Kaul & Christian Leuz & Ingrid M. Werner, 2018. "The Twilight Zone: OTC Regulatory Regimes and Market Quality," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 31(3), pages 898-942.
    9. Tarek Chebbi & Slaheddine Hellara, 2010. "Liquidity and corporate yield spreads: lessons from Tunisian bond market," International Journal of Monetary Economics and Finance, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 3(3), pages 207-226.
    10. Bessembinder, Hendrik & Spatt, Chester & Venkataraman, Kumar, 2020. "A Survey of the Microstructure of Fixed-Income Markets," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 55(1), pages 1-45, February.
    11. Jack Bao & Jun Pan & Jiang Wang, 2011. "The Illiquidity of Corporate Bonds," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 66(3), pages 911-946, June.
    12. Goldstein, Michael A. & Hotchkiss, Edith S., 2020. "Providing liquidity in an illiquid market: Dealer behavior in US corporate bonds," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(1), pages 16-40.
    13. Marco Pagano, 1989. "Trading Volume and Asset Liquidity," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 104(2), pages 255-274.
    14. Goswami, Mangal & Sharma, Sunil, 2011. "The Development of Local Debt Markets in Asia: An Assessment," ADBI Working Papers 326, Asian Development Bank Institute.
    15. Zhang, Shengxing, 2018. "Liquidity misallocation in an over-the-counter market," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 174(C), pages 16-56.
    16. Chordia, Tarun & Roll, Richard & Subrahmanyam, Avanidhar, 2000. "Commonality in liquidity," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(1), pages 3-28, April.
    17. Sonali K. Shah & Kevin G. Corley, 2006. "Building Better Theory by Bridging the Quantitative–Qualitative Divide," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(8), pages 1821-1835, December.
    18. Piotr Bartkiewicz, 2021. "Ebbs and flows: the determinants of local currency bond market liquidity in Poland," Macroeconomics and Finance in Emerging Market Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(2), pages 200-218, May.
    19. Agur, Itai & Chan, Melissa & Goswami, Mangal & Sharma, Sunil, 2019. "On international integration of emerging sovereign bond markets," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 347-363.
    20. Goyenko, Ruslan Y. & Ukhov, Andrey D., 2009. "Stock and Bond Market Liquidity: A Long-Run Empirical Analysis," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 44(1), pages 189-212, February.
    21. John Ryan, 2013. "Credit rating agencies: are they credible?," International Journal of Public Policy, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 9(1/2), pages 4-22.
    22. Petschnigg, Reinhard, 2005. "The institutional framework for financial market policy in the USA seen from an EU perspective," Occasional Paper Series 35, European Central Bank.
    23. Barbara Rindi, 2008. "Informed Traders as Liquidity Providers: Anonymity, Liquidity and Price Formation," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 12(3), pages 497-532.
    24. Jakub Kubiczek, 2020. "Corporate Bond Market in Poland—Prospects for Development," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-13, December.
    25. Amy K. Edwards & Lawrence E. Harris & Michael S. Piwowar, 2007. "Corporate Bond Market Transaction Costs and Transparency," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 62(3), pages 1421-1451, June.
    26. Edith Hotchkiss & Gergana Jostova, 2017. "Determinants of Corporate Bond Trading: A Comprehensive Analysis," Quarterly Journal of Finance (QJF), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 7(02), pages 1-30, June.
    27. Dion Bongaerts & Frank de Jong & Joost Driessen, 2017. "An Asset Pricing Approach to Liquidity Effects in Corporate Bond Markets," Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 30(4), pages 1229-1269.
    28. Sharad Nath Bhattacharya & Mousumi Bhattacharya & Sankarshan Basu, 2019. "Stock market and its liquidity: Evidence from ARDL bound testing approach in the Indian context," Cogent Economics & Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(1), pages 1586297-158, January.
    29. Jankowitsch, Rainer & Nashikkar, Amrut & Subrahmanyam, Marti G., 2011. "Price dispersion in OTC markets: A new measure of liquidity," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 343-357, February.
    30. Nozawa, Yoshio & Qiu, Yancheng, 2021. "Corporate bond market reactions to quantitative easing during the COVID-19 pandemic," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    31. Hadhri, Sinda & Ftiti, Zied, 2019. "Commonality in liquidity among Middle East and North Africa emerging stock markets: Does it really matter?," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 43(3).
    32. Hendrik Bessembinder & William Maxwell, 2008. "Markets: Transparency and the Corporate Bond Market," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 22(2), pages 217-234, Spring.
    33. Domowitz, Ian & Hansch, Oliver & Wang, Xiaoxin, 2005. "Liquidity commonality and return co-movement," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 8(4), pages 351-376, November.
    34. Paiardini, Paola, 2015. "Informed trading in parallel bond markets," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 26(C), pages 103-121.
    35. Reinhard Petschnigg, 2005. "The institutional framework for financial market policy in the USA seen from an EU perspective," Occasional Paper Series 35, European Central Bank.
    36. Xiangkang Yin, 2005. "A Comparison of Centralized and Fragmented Markets with Costly Search," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 60(3), pages 1567-1590, June.
    37. Tarun K. Mukherjee & Atsuyuki Naka, 1995. "Dynamic Relations Between Macroeconomic Variables And The Japanese Stock Market: An Application Of A Vector Error Correction Model," Journal of Financial Research, Southern Finance Association;Southwestern Finance Association, vol. 18(2), pages 223-237, June.
    38. Mr. Mangal Goswami & Mr. Sunil Sharma, 2011. "The Development of Local Debt Markets in Asia," IMF Working Papers 2011/132, International Monetary Fund.
    39. Admati, Anat R & Pfleiderer, Paul, 1991. "Sunshine Trading and Financial Market Equilibrium," Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 4(3), pages 443-481.
    40. Madhavan, Ananth & Porter, David & Weaver, Daniel, 2005. "Should securities markets be transparent?," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 8(3), pages 265-287, August.
    41. Alexander, Gordon J. & Edwards, Amy K. & Ferri, Michael G., 2000. "The determinants of trading volume of high-yield corporate bonds," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 3(2), pages 177-204, May.
    42. Jonathan Goldberg & Yoshio Nozawa, 2021. "Liquidity Supply in the Corporate Bond Market," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 76(2), pages 755-796, April.
    43. James Brugler & Carole Comerton-Forde & J Spencer Martin, 2022. "Secondary Market Transparency and Corporate Bond Issuing Costs [Asset pricing and the bid–ask spread]," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 26(1), pages 43-77.
    44. Olfa Berrich & Halim Dabbou & Mohamed Imen Gallali, 2022. "Over-the-counter market and corporate bond market development," International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 47(2/3), pages 284-304.
    45. Pagano, Marco & Roell, Ailsa, 1996. "Transparency and Liquidity: A Comparison of Auction and Dealer Markets with Informed Trading," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 51(2), pages 579-611, June.
    46. Mukherjee, Tarun K & Naka, Atsuyuki, 1995. "Dynamic Relations between Macroeconomic Variables and the Japanese Stock Market: An Application of a Vector Error Correction Model," Journal of Financial Research, Southern Finance Association;Southwestern Finance Association, vol. 18(2), pages 223-237, Summer.
    47. Craig Pirrong, 2002. "Securities Market Macrostructure: Property Rights and the Efficiency of Securities Trading," The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 18(2), pages 385-410, October.
    48. Forget M Kapingura, 2015. "Macroeconomic Determinants of Liquidity of the Bond Market in Africa: Case Study of South Africa," Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, AMH International, vol. 7(3), pages 88-103.
    49. Mr. Jorge Roldos, 2004. "Pension Reform, Investment Restrictions and Capital Markets," IMF Policy Discussion Papers 2004/004, International Monetary Fund.
    50. Tarun Chordia, 2005. "An Empirical Analysis of Stock and Bond Market Liquidity," Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 18(1), pages 85-129.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Goldstein, Michael A. & Namin, Elmira Shekari, 2023. "Corporate bond liquidity and yield spreads: A review," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    2. Vayanos, Dimitri & Wang, Jiang, 2013. "Market Liquidity—Theory and Empirical Evidence ," Handbook of the Economics of Finance, in: G.M. Constantinides & M. Harris & R. M. Stulz (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Finance, volume 2, chapter 0, pages 1289-1361, Elsevier.
    3. Stephanie Heck, 2022. "Corporate bond yields and returns: a survey," Financial Markets and Portfolio Management, Springer;Swiss Society for Financial Market Research, vol. 36(2), pages 179-201, June.
    4. Han, Song & Huang, Alan Guoming & Kalimipalli, Madhu & Wang, Ke, 2022. "Information and liquidity of over-the-counter securities: Evidence from public registration of Rule 144A bonds," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 59(PB).
    5. Olfa Berrich & Halim Dabbou & Mohamed Imen Gallali, 2022. "Over-the-counter market and corporate bond market development," International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 47(2/3), pages 284-304.
    6. Allen, Linda & Gottesman, Aron A. & Peng, Lin, 2012. "The impact of joint participation on liquidity in equity and syndicated bank loan markets," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 50-78.
    7. Díaz, Antonio & Escribano, Ana, 2020. "Measuring the multi-faceted dimension of liquidity in financial markets: A literature review," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    8. Pham, Thu Phuong & Westerholm, P. Joakim, 2013. "A survey of research into broker identity and limit order book," Working Papers 17212, University of Tasmania, Tasmanian School of Business and Economics, revised 16 Oct 2013.
    9. Ronen, Tavy & Zhou, Xing, 2013. "Trade and information in the corporate bond market," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 16(1), pages 61-103.
    10. Loon, Yee Cheng & Zhong, Zhaodong Ken, 2014. "The impact of central clearing on counterparty risk, liquidity, and trading: Evidence from the credit default swap market," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 112(1), pages 91-115.
    11. Loon, Yee Cheng & Zhong, Zhaodong (Ken), 2016. "Does Dodd-Frank affect OTC transaction costs and liquidity? Evidence from real-time CDS trade reports," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 119(3), pages 645-672.
    12. Paulo Pereira da Silva & Carlos Vieira & Isabel Vieira, 2018. "Central clearing and CDS market quality," Journal of Futures Markets, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 38(6), pages 731-753, June.
    13. Yamani, Ehab, 2023. "Return–volume nexus in financial markets: A survey of research," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    14. Johannes A. Skjeltorp & Elvira Sojli & Wing Wah Tham, 2011. "Sunshine trading: Flashes of trading intent at the NASDAQ," Working Paper 2011/17, Norges Bank.
    15. Bruche, Max & Segura, Anatoli, 2017. "Debt maturity and the liquidity of secondary debt markets," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 124(3), pages 599-613.
    16. Dimitri Vayanos & Jiang Wang, 2012. "Market Liquidity -- Theory and Empirical Evidence," NBER Working Papers 18251, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    17. Helwege, Jean & Wang, Liying, 2021. "Liquidity and price pressure in the corporate bond market: evidence from mega-bonds," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 48(C).
    18. Gábor Pintér & Chaojun Wang & Junyuan Zou, 2021. "Size Discount and Size Penalty Trading Costs in Bond Markets," Discussion Papers 2114, Centre for Macroeconomics (CFM).
    19. Reichenbacher, Michael & Schuster, Philipp, 2022. "Size-adapted bond liquidity measures and their asset pricing implications," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(2), pages 425-443.
    20. Anderson, Mike, 2017. "A causal link between bond liquidity and stock returns," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 190-208.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eme:qrfmpp:qrfm-04-2021-0057. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Emerald Support (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.