Discriminatory Pricing of Over-the-Counter Derivatives
63 Pages Posted: 10 Jan 2018 Last revised: 11 Jun 2020
There are 4 versions of this paper
Discriminatory Pricing of Over-the-Counter Derivatives
Discriminatory Pricing of Over-the-Counter Derivatives
Discriminatory Pricing of Over-the-Counter Derivatives
Discriminatory Pricing of Over-the-Counter Derivatives
Date Written: December 16, 2017
Abstract
For the first time, new regulatory data allow precise measurement of price discrimination against non-financial clients in the FX derivatives market. Consistent with the theoretical literature, transaction costs vary systematically with measures of client sophistication. The median client pays 10.9 pips more than blue-chip companies due to its lower level of sophistication, which compares with a sample average effective spread of 6.9 pips. However, price discrimination is fully eliminated when clients trade electronically on multi-dealer platforms. We also document that less sophisticated clients incur additional costs when trading with their relationship bank and in fast-moving markets, but only for bilaterally negotiated contracts.
Keywords: Transaction costs, OTC markets, multi-dealer platforms, relationship trading
JEL Classification: G14, G18, D4
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
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