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Fluctuations and response in financial markets: the subtle nature of `random' price changes

Author

Listed:
  • Jean-Philippe Bouchaud

    (Science & Finance, Capital Fund Management
    CEA Saclay;)

  • Yuval Gefen

    (Weizmann Institute)

  • Marc Potters

    (Science & Finance, Capital Fund Management)

  • Matthieu Wyart

    (CEA Saclay;)

Abstract

Using Trades and Quotes data from the Paris stock market, we show that the random walk nature of traded prices results from a very delicate interplay between two opposite tendencies: strongly correlated market orders that lead to super-diffusion (or persistence), and mean reverting limit orders that lead to sub-diffusion (or anti-persistence). We define and study a model where the price, at any instant, is the result of the impact of all past trades, mediated by a non constant `propagator' in time that describes the response of the market to a single trade. Within this model, the market is shown to be, in a precise sense, at a critical point, where the price is purely diffusive and the average response function almost constant. We find empirically, and discuss theoretically, a fluctuation-response relation. We discuss the information content of each trade, and find that it is on average very small.

Suggested Citation

  • Jean-Philippe Bouchaud & Yuval Gefen & Marc Potters & Matthieu Wyart, 2003. "Fluctuations and response in financial markets: the subtle nature of `random' price changes," Science & Finance (CFM) working paper archive 0307332, Science & Finance, Capital Fund Management.
  • Handle: RePEc:sfi:sfiwpa:0307332
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    JEL classification:

    • G10 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - General (includes Measurement and Data)

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