Derivatives Trading and the Volume-Volatility Link in the Indian Stock Market

This paper investigates the issue of temporal ordering of the range-based volatility and volume in the Indian stock market for the period 1995-2007. We examine the dynamics of the two variables and their respective uncertainties using a bivariate dual long-memory model. We distinguish between volume traded before and after the introduction of futures and options trading. We find that in all three periods the impact of both the number of trades and the value of shares traded on volatility is negative. This result is in line with the theoretical argument that a marketplace with a larger population of liquidity providers will be less volatile than one with a smaller population. We also find that (i) the introduction of futures trading leads to a decrease in spot volatility, (ii) volume decreases after the introduction of option contracts and, (iii) there are signifcant expiration day effects on both the value of shares traded and volatility series.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/64397/1/wp935.pd

Intraday Patterns in the Cross-section of Stock Returns

Motivated by the literature on investment flows and optimal trading, we examine intraday predictability in the cross-section of stock returns. We find a striking pattern of return continuation at half-hour intervals that are exact multiples of a trading day, and this effect lasts for at least 40 trading days. Volume, order imbalance, volatility, and bid-ask spreads exhibit similar patterns, but do not explain the return patterns. We also show that short-term return reversal is driven by temporary liquidity imbalances lasting less than an hour and bid-ask bounce. Timing trades can reduce execution costs by the equivalent of the effective spread

The Coase Theorem and Western US Appropriative Water Rights

The Article analyzes the prior appropriation system in the Western U.S. as a compelling application of the Coase Theorem. In the overall prior appropriation system, few statutory transfers occur, but there are thriving transfer markets in the smaller-scale context of water districts. This suggests that the system at large is not at Coase Equilibrium, but that Equilibrium does prevail inside the water institutions. Institutions facilitate low transaction costs and secure property rights, and catalyze an iterative process that tends toward Coase Equilibrium. The Article makes policy recommendations regarding the formation of larger-scale water institutions to reduce deadweight losses by expanding the scope of Coase Equilibrium within the prior appropriation system

Does mood affect trading behavior?

We test whether investor mood affects trading with data on all stock market transactions in Finland, utilizing variation in daylight and local weather. We find some evidence that environmental mood variables (local weather, length of day, daylight saving and lunar phase) affect investors’ direction of trade and volume. The effect magnitudes are roughly comparable to those of classical seasonals, such as the Monday effect. The statistical significance of the mood variables is weak in many cases, however. Only very little of the day-to-day variation in trading is collectively explained by all mood variables and calendar effects, but lower frequency variation seems connected to holiday seasons

A proposal for impact-adjusted valuation: Critical leverage and execution risk

The practice of valuation by marking-to-market with current trading prices is seriously flawed. Under leverage the problem is particularly dramatic: due to the concave form of market impact, selling always initially causes the expected leverage to increase. There is a critical leverage above which it is impossible to exit a portfolio without leverage going to infinity and bankruptcy becoming likely. Standard risk-management methods give no warning of this problem, which easily occurs for aggressively leveraged positions in illiquid markets. We propose an alternative accounting procedure based on the estimated market impact of liquidation that removes the illusion of profit. This should curb the leverage cycle and contribute to an enhanced stability of financial markets.Comment: 19 pages, 3 figure