← Search

Journal of Financial Markets Vol. 75 2025

Queuing and inventories in limit order markets

Corey Garriott1; VINCENT VAN KERVEL; Marius Zoican2

1 United States Department of the Treasury · 2 University of Calgary

open access

Abstract

Limit order markets use a queuing system in which limit orders must wait in line to execute. We show that the queue position of a limit order influences its adverse selection risk and inhibits inventory risk management. Trade may worsen market maker risk sharing, unlike many protocols without queuing. We uncover a crowding-out effect: An inventory shock reduces liquidity provision by market makers later in the queue. Using futures data, we confirm both low risk sharing and the crowding-out effect. These two results imply a trade-off, as the queuing sequence that optimizes risk sharing decreases quoted depth up to 8.4%. • Queue position affects adverse-selection risk and inventory management. • Market-maker risk sharing may worsen due to queuing. • Inventory shocks reduce liquidity provision later in the queue. • Canadian futures data confirm low risk sharing and crowding-out effects. • Optimizing risk sharing lowers quoted depth by up to 8.4%.

DOI
10.1016/j.finmar.2025.100982
Volume
75
Pages
100982
Language
en
Sources
crossref openalex

Cite