IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/ucp/jnlbus/v64y1991i4p523-47.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Stock Index Futures and Index Arbitrage in a Rational Expectations Model

Author

Listed:
  • Fremault, Anne

Abstract

This article analyzes the role of stock index futures and index arbitrage in a rational expectations economy with competitive stock and futures markets. A simple model is developed with three types of agents who, besides having different trading motives, have unequal access to markets. Among these agents, only index arbitrageurs can trade on both markets and thus engage in arbitrage. The article characterizes the impact of index arbitrage on equilibrium prices, volatilities, and welfare. It is shown that index arbitrage is a risk-reallocating and price-correcting mechanism. Its impact on price stability is shown to be dependent on the relative variability of aggregate supply in the respective markets. Index arbitrage also transmits information across markets. Copyright 1991 by University of Chicago Press.

Suggested Citation

  • Fremault, Anne, 1991. "Stock Index Futures and Index Arbitrage in a Rational Expectations Model," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 64(4), pages 523-547, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jnlbus:v:64:y:1991:i:4:p:523-47
    DOI: 10.1086/296550
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/296550
    File Function: full text
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to JSTOR subscribers. See http://www.jstor.org for details.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1086/296550?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.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:ucp:jnlbus:v:64:y:1991:i:4:p:523-47. 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.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using 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: Journals Division (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.jstor.org/journal/jbusiness .

    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.