Strategic Trading In Illiquid Markets

The Area of Research and the Object of Investigation In this thesis we will investigate trading strategies in illiquid markets from a market microstructure perspective. Market microstructure is the academic term for the branch of financial economics that investigates trading and the organization of security markets, see, e. g. , Harris (2002). Historically, exchanges evolved as a location, where those interested in buy ing or selling securities could meet physically to transact. Thus, traditionally security trading was organized on exchange floors, where so-called dealers arranged all trades and provided liquidity by quoting prices at which they were willing buy or sell. Consequently, the initial surge of the market mi crostructure literature focused predominantly on this type of market design, which is often referred to as quote-driven. Nowadays, the interest is shifting towards order-driven markets. Beginning with the Toronto Stock Exchange in the mid 1970s and increasing in fre quency and scope, this market structure has emerged as the preeminent form of security trading worldwide. In order-driven markets, exchanges arrange trades by matching public orders, often by employing automatic execution systems. Introduction A major difference between a quote-driven and an order-driven market arises from the transparency pre- and post-trade. The pre-trade transparency con cerns the question whether the order book is visible to the keeper only, or whether it is open to the public.

This book examines the complexity of trading and the creation of liquidity. Titled after the Baruch College Financial Markets Conference, Equity Market Round-Up: Proposals for Strengthening the Markets, this book explores how regulation has a clear impact on market structure and, therefore, how market structure impacts efficient trading and capital formation. The following questions are analyzed: What are the liquidity strategies for pricing and interacting? Is liquidity any more available today for an illiquid stock than it was on the floor of the exchange 20 years ago? How do we cope with the dynamics of a continuous market? How can market structure be improved? What are the effects of high frequency trading? The Zicklin School of Business Financial Markets Series presents the insights emerging from a sequence of conferences hosted by the Zicklin School at Baruch College for industry professionals, regulators, and scholars. The transcripts from the conferences are edited for clarity, perspective and context; material and comments from subsequent interviews with the panelists and speakers are included for a complete thematic presentation. Each book is focused on a well delineated topic, but all deliver broad insights into the quality and efficiency of the U.S. equity markets and the dynamic forces that are changing them.

Introducing Deron Wagner's Sector Trading Strategies – a brilliantly simple way to target profits in every market. Wagner walks you through his strategies for charting the market sectors, helping you determine if your stock, option, or other financial product is positioned for huge profit – or actually at risk for a loss. Wagner focuses first on the skills necessary for sector trading – identifying the realm of tradeable sectors, picking the best indicators, and analyzing risk – then lays out his top three strategic methodologies for effective sector trading. To maximize the power of this guide, you'll also receive access to an interactive online review tool at Traders' Library's Education Corner. Inside, learn the nuts and bolts of successful sector trading: The basics of reciprocal relationships and how to profit from them; How to follow mutual fund and other institutional money flow to find the next big trade; How and when to rotate your investment capital and optimize your returns; How to identify strong and weak sectors to place trades that have the best possible upside; Various methods for entering and exiting positions to gain and protect profits; How to increase your daily number of trading opportunities to exploit any market condition; How ETFs and options can be leveraged to get the most from the least; How to analyze risk to increase your trading peace of mind. To obtain the trading power of the big institutions, you need Wagner's Sector Trading Strategies. With his help, you will be able to generate consistent profits no matter what the markets throw your way.

Making great trades in a directionless market can be a challenge, and directionless markets occur more frequently than bull and bear markets combined. Options pioneer Anthony J. Saliba provides the tools and tactics needed to take advantage of a sideways market. Saliba focuses on strategies in the butterfly family of options: butterflies, condors, and iron butterflies, showing how to the use these sophisticated tools in directionless markets. This hands-on guide illustrates numerous market scenarios to show you step-by-step how and when to apply these butterfly strategies. You’ll find out how to identify, enter, manage, and exit a trade. Exercises and quizzes test your comprehension to make sure you have the knowledge to tackle directionless markets.

The true meaning of investment discipline is to trade only when you rationally expect that you will achieve your desired objective. Accordingly, managers must thoroughly understand why they trade. Because trading is a zero-sum game, good investment discipline also requires that managers understand why their counterparties trade. This book surveys the many reasons why people trade and identifies the implications of the zero-sum game for investment discipline. It also identifies the origins of liquidity and thus of transaction costs, as well as when active investment strategies are profitable. The book then explains how managers must measure and control transaction costs to perform well. Electronic trading systems and electronic trading strategies now dominate trading in exchange markets throughout the world. The book identifies why speed is of such great importance to electronic traders, how they obtain it, and the trading strategies they use to exploit it. Finally, the book analyzes many issues associated with electronic trading that currently concern practitioners and regulators.

Trading Triads explains the ‘Triads’ method, a system that enables simple market analysis, flagging accurate turning points as well as precise entry and exit points for trades. The book begins by introducing the reader to the Triads method and how it was developed, as well as explaining how it reflects the fundamental structure of the market. The author goes on to explain the oscillatory nature of markets, their structure and their key elements. The book explains why most indicators give false signals and explains how to avoid them. After exploring fundamental market structure, the book explains the Triads strategy. It covers precise entry and exit points as well as stop placement. Also it explains how to use Triads at the same time as other indicators to trade the markets most successfully – for example, how a simple moving average traded with the help of Triads becomes a powerful trading tool that avoids most false signals. It also shows how to trade an MACD, stochastic or any other indicator/method with the help of Triads. The purpose of these examples is to show how the Triads methodology improves significantly any trading method or trading tool. The book aims to explain to the reader a new trading method which can simplify analysis of the market, and provide a simple and extremely versatile strategy which can sit alongside the trader’s current range of tools to increase precision, and results, in their trading of the markets.

The financial industry's leading independent research firm's forward-looking assessment into high frequency trading Once regarded as a United States-focused trend, today, high frequency trading is gaining momentum around the world. Yet, while high frequency trading continues to be one of the hottest trends in the markets, due to the highly proprietary nature of the computer transactions, financial firms and institutions have made very little available in terms of information or "how-to" techniques. That's all changed with The High Frequency Game Changer: How Automated Trading Strategies Have Revolutionized the Markets. In the book, Zubulake and Lee present an overview of how high frequency trading is changing the face of the market. The book Explains how we got here and what it means to traders and investors Details how to build a high frequency trading firm, including the relevant tools, strategies, and trading talent Defines key components common to HFT such as algorithms, low latency trading infrastructure, collocation etc. The High Frequency Game Changer takes a highly controversial and extremely complicated subject and makes it accessible to anyone with an interest or stake in financial markets.