Limits to Arbitrage: The Case of Single Stock Futures and Spot Prices

Abstract

Market frictions such as transactions costs, funding constraints and short selling constraints limit arbitrage, but these frictions affect different stocks differently. Using intraday data on a liquid single stock futures and spot market, we examine the effect of these frictions on arbitrage efficiency of the two markets. We find evidence of significant cross-sectional variation in the size and asymmetricity of no-arbitrage bands. To the extent that market frictions affect all stocks similarly, commonality in the size of no-arbitrage bands is expected. We find that 17% of variation in the size of no-arbitrage bands is explained by the first principal component. Changes in funding liquidity is a key factor that determines variation in the common component.

Keywords: Limits to arbitrage, Mispricing, No-arbitrage bands, Short-selling constraints, Transactions costs, Funding constraints

JEL Classification: G13, G14