Abstract
Following the development of natural gas trading hubs in Europe, forward products have become a response to the higher exposure to price risk faced by energy companies. Yet, a significant share of trade occurs over-the-counter (OTC), where inter-dealer brokers act as intermediaries and deals may be customized. Hence, there are concerns about transparency and market quality, of which liquidity is a main indicator. This study investigates liquidity in the largest one-month-ahead European forward market for natural gas in the period from May 2010 to December 2014, using asynchronous high-frequency data and time-varying measures of spread and price impact from the financial market microstructure literature. The usefulness of these measures in the seasonal and evolving National Balancing Point (NBP) is assessed. Different aspects of liquidity and transaction costs are unveiled.
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call