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Competing on Speed

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  • Emiliano Pagnotta
  • Thomas Philippon

Abstract

Two forces have reshaped global securities markets in the last decade: Exchanges operate at much faster speeds and the trading landscape has become more fragmented. In order to analyze the positive and normative implications of these evolutions, we study a framework that captures (i) exchanges' incentives to invest in faster trading technologies and (ii) investors' trading and participation decisions. Our model predicts that regulation that protect prices will lead to fragmentation and faster trading speed. Asset prices decrease when there is intermediation competition and are further depressed by price protection. Endogenizing speed can also change the slope of asset demand curves. On normative side, we find that for a given number of exchanges, faster trading is in general socially desirable. Similarly, for a given trading speed, competition among exchange increases participation and welfare. However, when speed is endogenous, competition between exchanges is not necessarily desirable. In particular, speed can be inefficiently high. Our model sheds light on important features of the experience of European and U.S. markets since the implementation of Reg. NMS, and provides some guidance for optimal regulations.

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  • Emiliano Pagnotta & Thomas Philippon, 2011. "Competing on Speed," NBER Working Papers 17652, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:17652
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    Cited by:

    1. Lester, Benjamin & Weill, Pierre-Olivier & Hugonnier, Julien, 2022. "Heterogeneity in decentralized asset markets," Theoretical Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 17(3), July.
    2. Vasilios Mavroudis, 2019. "Market Manipulation as a Security Problem," Papers 1903.12458, arXiv.org.
    3. Yacine Aït-Sahalia & Mehmet Saglam, 2013. "High Frequency Traders: Taking Advantage of Speed," NBER Working Papers 19531, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Hoffmann, Peter, 2013. "A dynamic limit order market with fast and slow traders," Working Paper Series 1526, European Central Bank.
    5. Nathalie Oriol & Alexandra Rufini & Dominique Torre, 2015. "Should Dark Pools be Banned from Regulated Exchanges?," GREDEG Working Papers 2015-21, Groupe de REcherche en Droit, Economie, Gestion (GREDEG CNRS), Université Côte d'Azur, France.
    6. Andrew G. Atkeson & Andrea L. Eisfeldt & Pierre‐Olivier Weill, 2015. "Entry and Exit in OTC Derivatives Markets," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 83, pages 2231-2292, November.
    7. Benjamin Lester & Guillaume Rocheteau & Pierre‐Olivier Weill, 2015. "Competing for Order Flow in OTC Markets," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 47(S2), pages 77-126, June.
    8. Trejos, Alberto & Wright, Randall, 2016. "Search-based models of money and finance: An integrated approach," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 10-31.
    9. Thomas Philippon, 2015. "Has the US Finance Industry Become Less Efficient? On the Theory and Measurement of Financial Intermediation," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 105(4), pages 1408-1438, April.
    10. Cécile Bastidon, 2017. "Stock markets fragmentation, volatility and final investors," Annals of Finance, Springer, vol. 13(4), pages 435-451, November.
    11. Cimon, David A., 2021. "Broker routing decisions in limit order markets," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    12. Andrew G. Atkeson & Andrea L. Eisfeldt & Pierre-Olivier Weill, 2013. "The Market for OTC Derivatives," NBER Working Papers 18912, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    13. Hoffmann, Peter, 2014. "A dynamic limit order market with fast and slow traders," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 113(1), pages 156-169.
    14. Sarah Draus, 2012. "Market Power on Exchanges: Linking Price Impact to Trading Fees," CSEF Working Papers 490, Centre for Studies in Economics and Finance (CSEF), University of Naples, Italy.
    15. van Kervel, V.L., 2013. "Competition between stock exchanges and optimal trading," Other publications TiSEM 5c608a0f-527d-441d-a910-e, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    16. Jonathan Brogaard & Terrence Hendershott & Ryan Riordan, 2014. "High-Frequency Trading and Price Discovery," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 27(8), pages 2267-2306.
    17. Gonçalves, Jorge & Kräussl, Roman & Levin, Vladimir, 2019. "Do "speed bumps" prevent accidents in financial markets?," CFS Working Paper Series 636, Center for Financial Studies (CFS).
    18. Alessandro Gavazza, 2016. "An Empirical Equilibrium Model of a Decentralized Asset Market," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 84, pages 1755-1798, September.
    19. William Fuchs & Andrzej Skrzypacz, 2019. "Costs and benefits of dynamic trading in a lemons market," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 33, pages 105-127, July.
    20. Michael Goldstein & James J. Angel, 2014. "When Finance Meets Physics: The Impact of the Speed of Light on Financial Markets and Their Regulation," The Financial Review, Eastern Finance Association, vol. 49(2), pages 271-281, May.
    21. Pinter, Gabor & Uslu, Semih, 2023. "Price formation in markets with trading delays," Bank of England working papers 1023, Bank of England.
    22. Dugast, J., 2013. "Limited attention and news arrival in limit order markets," Working papers 449, Banque de France.
    23. Thomas Philippon, 2014. "Efficiency and Benefit-Cost Analysis of the Financial System," The Journal of Legal Studies, University of Chicago Press, vol. 43(S2), pages 107-120.
    24. Rocheteau, Guillaume & Rodriguez-Lopez, Antonio, 2014. "Liquidity provision, interest rates, and unemployment," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 80-101.
    25. Mariana Khapko & Marius Zoican, 2019. "Do speed bumps curb low-latency trading? Evidence from a laboratory market," Papers 1910.03068, arXiv.org.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • L15 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Information and Product Quality

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