Order Submission Strategies and Information: Empirical Evidence from the NYSE

Abstract

We investigate the role of asymmetric information in affecting order submission strategies. In general, order aggressiveness depends on the state of the order book and on the asset dynamics. We find that the most important determinants are the depth on the same side of the book and a momentum indicator. When we focus on specific situations characterized by higher probability of information-based trading, we find that orders are less aggressive, suggesting strategic behavior of informed traders. This conjecture is supported by a different response to changes in some of their information set's variables.

Keywords: Order Aggressiveness, Informed Trading, Order Flow