Investors as a Liquidity Backstop in Corporate Bond Markets

Abstract

Investors act as a liquidity back-stop in the corporate bond market. By providing liquidity, investors help ease dealers' balance sheet constraints, especially during market stress. During the March 2020 Dash-for-Cash, in bonds where investors stopped providing liquidity, transaction costs rose by 38%. We find the composition of types of liquidity providers - rather than just their presence - shapes trading costs. Dealers relying on flexible-mandate investors, such as hedge funds, are more resilient to liquidity shocks. Dealers offer discounts to investors for past liquidity services to maintain liquidity provider networks. These discounts represent two-thirds of relationship discounts.

Keywords: Bond Markets, Liquidity, Clients-sourced liquidity, Balance sheet cost

JEL Classification: D40, G10