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Journal of Financial Intermediation Vol. 47 2021

Two shades of opacity: Hidden orders and dark trading

Hans Degryse1,2; Nikolaos Karagiannis3; Geoffrey Tombeur4; Gunther Wuyts2

1 Centre for European Policy Studies · 2 KU Leuven · 3 University of Manchester · 4 Financial Services and Markets Authority (FSMA), Congresstraat 12-14, 1000 Brussels, Belgium

Abstract

Regulators are concerned that large volumes of trading outside lit venues (i.e., dark trading) harms the functioning of financial markets. In contrast, regulators are neutral about hidden-order trading as these occur on lit venues and are associated with positive effects on market quality. An unanswered economic question concerns the interrelation between these two types of opaque trading, i.e., hidden orders and dark trading. Employing two different empirical methodologies we find that dark and hidden-order trading are substitutes. We also show that both types of opaque trading increase when markets are volatile and fewer algorithmic trading occurs. Smart order routing increases dark trading but reduces hidden-order activity.

DOI
10.1016/j.jfi.2021.100919
Volume
47
Pages
100919
Language
en
Sources
bibtex:phds-export.bib openalex crossref

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