Erik Theissen

Knowing me, knowing you:: Trader anonymity and informed trading in parallel markets☆

Abstract In this paper we empirically analyze whether the degree of trader anonymity is related to the probability of information-based trading. We use data from the German stock market where non-anonymous traditional floor based exchanges co-exist with an anonymous computerized trading system. We use an extended version of the Easley et al. (J. Finance 51 (1996) 1405) model that allows for simultaneous estimation for two parallel markets. We find that the probability of informed trading is significantly lower in the floor based trading system. We further document that the size of the spread and the adverse selection component are positively related to the estimated probabilities of information-based trading.

Price discovery in floor and screen trading systems

We analyze price discovery in floor-based and electronic exchanges using data from the German stock market. We find that both markets contribute to price discovery. There is bidirectional Granger causality, and prices from both markets adjust to deviations from the long-run equilibrium. We use two different measures of the contributions to price discovery, the information share (Hasbrouck 1995) and the weights with which the series enter the common long memory component as defined by Gonzalo / Granger (1995). The contributions of the two trading systems to the process of price discovery are almost equal when transaction prices are used for the estimation. Models based on quote midpoints indicate that the electronic trading system has a larger share in the price discovery process. A cross-sectional analysis reveals that the contributions to price discovery are positively related to the market shares of the trading systems.

Insider Trading and Corporate Governance - The Case of Germany

We analyse transactions by corporate insiders in Germany. We find that insider trades are associated with significant abnormal returns. Insider trades that occur prior to an earnings announcement have a larger impact on prices. This result provides a rationale for the UK regulation that prohibits insiders from trading prior to earnings announcements. Both the ownership structure and the accounting standards used by the firm affect the magnitude of the price reaction. The position of the insider within the firm has no effect, which is inconsistent with the informational hierarchy hypothesis.

A test of the accuracy of the Lee/Ready trade classification algorithm

Abstract We analyze the accuracy of the Lee/Ready (1991) trade classification algorithm and the tick test. Our definition of true trade classification is based on whether the Makler (the equivalent of the specialist on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange) bought or sold shares. The Lee/Ready method classifies 72.8% of the transactions correctly. The simpler tick test performs almost equally well. We document that misclassification of trades may systematically bias the results of empirical microstructure research. Finally, we show that estimation of the bid–ask spread from transaction data results in a reasonably accurate estimate of the relative liquidity of our sample stocks. This is an important finding because quote data for the German stock market is not available on a regular basis.

Price discovery in spot and futures markets: A reconsideration

We reconsider the issue of price discovery in spot and futures markets. We use a threshold error correction model to allow for arbitrage opportunities to have an impact on the return dynamics. We estimate the model using quote midpoints, and we modify the model to account for time-varying transaction costs. We find that (a) the futures market leads in the process of price discovery and (b) the presence of arbitrage opportunities has a strong impact on the dynamics of the price discovery process.

Inferring risk attitudes from certainty equivalents: Some lessons from an experimental study

This paper investigates experimentally whether certainty equivalents (CE) can be useful indicators for an individuals risk attitude. It is found that the reliability of this indicator (i.e. of a CE elicited by a Vickrey auction) is rather low. The possibility that the Vickrey auction mechanism causes considerable distortions can be ruled out, but noise in observing ones CE may explain the low degree of reliability in the data. This casts doubt on the usefulness of CE indices for the measurement of individual risk attitudes.

Liquidity Dynamics in an Electronic Open Limit Order Book: An Event Study Approach

We analyze the dynamics of liquidity in Xetra, an electronic open limit order book. We use the Exchange Liquidity Measure (XLM), a measure of the cost of a roundtrip trade of given size V. This measure captures the price and the quantity dimension of liquidity. We present descriptive statistics, analyze the cross-sectional determinants of the XLM measure and document its intraday pattern. Our main contribution is an analysis of the dynamics of the XLM measure around liquidity shocks. We use intraday event study methodology to analyze how a shock affects the XLM measure. We consider two sets of liquidity shocks, large transactions (which are endogenous events because they originate in the market) and Bloomberg ticker news items (which are exogenous events because they originate outside of the market). We find that resiliency after large transactions is high, i.e., liquidity quickly reverts to normal levels. We further document that large trades take place at times when liquidity is unusually high. We interpret this as evidence that large transactions are timed. The Bloomberg ticker news items do not have a discernible effect on liquidity.

Short sale constraints, divergence of opinion and asset values: Evidence from the laboratory

The overvaluation hypothesis (Miller 1977) predicts that a) stocks are overvalued when there are short selling restrictions and that b) the overvaluation is increasing in the degree of divergence of opinion. We design an experiment that allows us to test these predictions in the laboratory. Our results support the hypothesis that prices are higher in the presence of short selling constraints. The overvaluation does not depend on the degree of divergence of opinion.

Dividend announcements reconsidered dividend changes versus dividend surprises

This paper reconsiders the issue of share price reactions to dividend announcements. Previous papers rely almost exclusively on a naive dividend model in which the dividend change is used as a proxy for the dividend surprise. We use the difference between the actual dividend and the analyst consensus forecast as obtained from I/B/E/S as a proxy for the dividend surprise. Using data from Germany, we find significant share price reactions after dividend announcements. Once we control for analysts’ expectations, the dividend change loses explanatory power. Our results thus suggest that the naive model should be abandoned. We use panel methods to analyze the determinants of the share price reactions. We find (weak) support in favor of the dividend signaling hypothesis and no support for either the free cash flow hypothesis or the rent extraction hypothesis.

The Information Content of Dividend Surprises: Evidence from Germany

This paper reconsiders the issue of share price reactions to dividend announcements. We use the difference between the actual dividend and the analyst consensus forecast as obtained from I/B/E/S as a proxy for the surprise in the dividend announcement. Using data from Germany, we find significant share price reactions after dividend announcements. We use panel methods to analyze the determinants of the share price reactions and find evidence in favour of the cash flow signaling hypothesis and dividend clientele effects. We further find that the price reaction to dividend surprises is related to the ownership structure of the firm. The results do not support the free cash flow hypothesis. An additional result of our analysis is that dividend changes are not an appropriate measure to capture the information content of dividend announcements.