J. Jimmy Yang

Relative performance of trading halts and price limits: Evidence from the Spanish Stock Exchange

We study the relative performance of trading halts and price limits using data from the Spanish Stock Exchange where both mechanisms have coexisted. According to our evidence, trading activity increases after either mechanism is triggered. Volatility stays the same after trading halts but increases after price limit hits. Our evidence also shows that the bid-ask spread is narrower after trading halts but wider after price limit hits. Information is efficiently reflected in stock prices once trading resumes after trading halts, but there is evidence of market overreaction for upper price limits. Our overall result may have important policy implications for financial markets in the world.

Is the Diversification Benefit of Frontier Markets Realizable by Mean-Variance Investors? The Evidence of Investable Funds

The authors investigate whether the diversification benefits of frontier markets are realizable. They focus on investable frontier exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and their corresponding indices. Their analysis ncludes directly measuring the economic benefits of frontier-market diversification, as well as considering frontier-market trading dynamics. Evidence indicates that frontier markets offer diversification benefits through risk-reducing potential. The authors find that frontier market volatility tends to be largely idiosyncratic, which supports the risk-reducing role of frontier markets. Their comparison of funds and indices indicates that, to the extent that frontier-market indices offer hypothetical benefits, traders can obtain these benefits by using investable funds.

Effect of Price Limits: Initial Public Offerings Versus Seasoned Equities

In this paper, we examine the effect of price limits on initial public offerings (IPOs) using Taiwanese data. On average, it takes 6.24 days for IPOs to reach their equilibrium prices in the presence of a 7% price limit. We compare IPOs with their industry- and size-matched seasoned equities (MSEs) and observe higher volatility levels on subsequent days for IPOs than for MSEs. However, the higher volatility decays within 2 days. Lower price limits interfere with trading and lead to higher trading activity on subsequent days for IPOs than for MSEs. We also observe delayed price discovery for both IPOs and MSEs. Overall, our results provide evidence about the effect of price limits on IPOs and generate important regulatory implications for countries imposing price limits on IPOs.

Emerging from Bankruptcy with When‐Issued Trading

We examine the set of firms that emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy and traded on a when‐issued basis before their official return to the regular way in NASDAQ, Amex, or NYSE. We find that this when‐issued market is liquid and price efficient. The when‐issued closing price is a good indicator of the first closing price in the regular way market. Emerging firms that have when‐issued trading experience lower regular way volatility and smaller relative spreads than those without when‐issued trading. Our probit regressions show that firm size is an important determinant of the adoption of when‐issued trading.

What Makes When‐Issued Trading Attractive to Financial Markets?

When‐issued trading is the trading of securities prior to the actual issue of the security. When‐issued trading is active around the world and in a variety of equity and bond markets. In this survey, we provide a general description of when‐issued trading, analyze benefits and costs in various financial markets, present existing theoretical models and predictions, and synthesize empirical findings. We find that when‐issued trading promotes price discovery, mitigates information asymmetry, provides convenience for trading ahead of the actual issue of the security, and in some markets reduces volatility. In addition, we offer policy implications and suggest directions for further research in this area.