Trading Fast and Slow: Colocation and Liquidity
Review of Financial Studies, Forthcoming
57 Pages Posted: 30 Aug 2013 Last revised: 19 Jun 2020
Date Written: August 5, 2015
Abstract
We exploit an optional colocation upgrade at NASDAQ OMX Stockholm to assess how speed affects market liquidity. Liquidity improves for the overall market and even for noncolocated trading entities. We find that the upgrade is pursued mainly by participants who engage in market making. Those that upgrade use their enhanced speed to reduce their exposure to adverse selection and to relax their inventory constraints. In particular, the upgraded trading entities remain competitive at the best bid and offer even when their inventories are in their top decile. Our results suggest that increasing the speed of market-making participants benefit market liquidity.
Keywords: colocation, high-frequency trading, liquidity, fast trading, proximity services
JEL Classification: G14, G15, L10
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation