Equilibrium Asset Pricing with Both Liquid and Illiquid Markets

Abstract

I study a general equilibrium model in which investors face endowment risk and trade two correlated assets; one asset is traded on a liquid market whereas the other is traded on an illiquid over-the-counter (OTC) market. Endowment shocks not only make prices drop, they also make the OTC asset more difficult to sell, creating an endogenous liquidity risk. This liquidity risk increases the risk premium of both the OTC asset and liquid asset. Furthermore, the OTC market frictions increase the trading volume and the cross-sectional dispersion of ownership in the liquid market. Finally, if the economy starts with only the OTC market, then I explain how opening a correlated liquid market can increase or decrease the OTC price depending on the illiquidity level. The model's predictions can help explain several empirical findings.

Keywords: Over-the-Counter Markets, Illiquidity Risk, Illiquidity Spillover

JEL Classification: G1, G12, D83, D4, D52, D83