Secondary Market Liquidity Research Articles

The Economics of Liquid Staking Derivatives: Basis Determinants and Price Discovery

ABSTRACTThis paper provides a first economic analysis of liquid staking tokens, which are derivatives representing a share of staked tokens in Proof‐of‐Stake blockchains. We document substantial time‐variation in the “liquid staking basis” as given by the price difference between a derivative staking token and its underlying cryptocurrency. We find evidence that staking rewards, concentration risks, limits to arbitrage, and behavioral factors influence this basis. The liquid staking basis is wider when the yields offered by the liquid staking protocol are low relative to the alternative of staking directly, when cryptocurrency returns are more volatile, and when secondary market liquidity is low. In contrast, it is smaller when investors pay more attention to liquid staking and when investor sentiment is positive. Furthermore, liquid staking tokens contribute a significant and overall growing amount to price discovery in the underlying cryptocurrencies.

Capital Commitment

ABSTRACTTwelve trillion dollars are allocated to private market funds that require outside investors to commit to transferring capital on demand. We show within a novel dynamic portfolio allocation model that ex‐ante commitment has large effects on investors' portfolios and welfare, and we quantify those effects. Investors are underallocated to private market funds and are willing to pay a larger premium to adjust the quantity committed than to eliminate other frictions, like timing uncertainty and limited tradability. Perhaps counterintuitively, commitment risk premiums increase with secondary market liquidity, and they do not disappear when investments are spread over many funds.

The Value of ETF Liquidity

Abstract We analyze how ETFs compete. Drawing on a new model and empirical analysis, we show that ETF secondary market liquidity plays a key role in determining fees. More liquid ETFs for a given index charge higher fees and attract short-horizon investors who are more sensitive to liquidity than to fees. Higher turnover from these investors sustains the ETF’s high liquidity, allowing the ETF to extract a rent through its fee, and creating a first-mover advantage. Liquidity segmentation through clientele effects generates welfare losses. Our findings resolve the apparent paradox that higher-fee ETFs not only survive but also flourish in equilibrium.

Liquidity in the German corporate bond market: Has the CSPP made a difference?

The Eurosystem purchased €178 billion of corporate bonds between June 2016 and December 2018 under the Corporate Sector Purchase Programme (CSPP). Did these purchases lead to a deterioration of liquidity conditions in the corporate bond market, thus raising concerns about unintended consequences of large-scale asset purchases? To answer this question, we combine the Bundesbank's detailed CSPP purchase records with a range of liquidity indicators. We find that while the flow of purchases initially supported secondary market liquidity by providing a predictable source of demand, liquidity conditions deteriorated in the long-run as the Bundesbank reduced the stock of corporate bonds available for trading in the secondary market.

The Price of Safety: The Evolution of Municipal Bond Insurance Value

Economic theory predicts that bond insurance lowers issuers’ financing costs by resolving asymmetric information and mitigating credit risk. With comprehensive data over the last 36 years, we find increasingly diminished empirical support for these models. The value of insurance in resolving asymmetric information beyond that resolved by credit ratings and other observable bond characteristics is economically minimal. The average gross value of insurance ranges from 4 to 14 bps when bond insurers offer Aaa-rated coverage. However, this gross value becomes insignificant after 2008 when Aaa-rated insurance no longer exists. Evidence suggests that the lack of insurance benefit in the postcrisis period is attributable to the deteriorated creditworthiness of insurance companies. Examining noninterest saving explanations for the continued use of insurance in the no-Aaa insurance market, we find evidence that issuers purchase insurance out of habit (with insurance value most diminished for habitual purchasers with low governance quality) and for the convenience it affords in default, but no evidence that insurance improves secondary market liquidity. This paper was accepted by Gustavo Manso, finance. Supplemental Material: The data files and online appendix are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4813 .

ANALYSIS OF THE PRIMARY DEALERS FUNCTION

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of primary dealers, whose introduction promotes the development and trading of securities on the primary market while also making government securities easier to place. As a result, primary dealers act as a bridge between the government and large institutional investors. Their active role increases secondary market liquidity, which can potentially lead to an increase in investor base, simplification of the trading process, and reduction of transaction costs. As a result, borrowing costs for securities issuers are reduced, which contributes to the continued development of financial markets. In this paper we will examine the selection criteria and obligations of primary dealers, as well as their role in capital market development and monetary policy implementation. The final section of the paper focuses on the evolution of this function in Serbia. So far, regulatory changes in Serbia have enabled the function of primary dealers to be implemented, but they have not yet been implemented. Their implementation in Serbia would increase primary market liquidity, reduce the risk of debt financing, and contribute to the secondary market's further development.

Tunisian corporate bond market liquidity: a qualitative approach

PurposeThis study aims to explore the failures of Tunisian secondary corporate bond market liquidity to understand the determinants of corporate bond market liquidity at large.Design/methodology/approachWe adopted a qualitative approach to studying the Tunisian Stock Exchange. Dealers’ perceptions were collected through semi-structured face-to-face interviews; the data was recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed.FindingsSecondary corporate bond market failures are due, in part, to microstructural choices – especially the use of an over-the-counter market as a trading venue. The absence of a corporate bond yield curve, a narrow investor base, market participants’ lack of financial education and authorities’ attitudes are equally responsible.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is useful to researchers, policymakers and practitioners, as it identifies microstructural and other factors affecting the Tunisian secondary corporate bond market. We interviewed only Tunisian dealers while ignoring other categories of market participants. Furthermore, a focus group discussion could have improved our understanding of the determinants of the Tunisian secondary corporate bond market.Originality/valueThis paper aimed to qualitatively discuss several issues related to the Tunisian secondary corporate bond market. To date, little academic research has addressed this topic in the illiquid and non-transparent corporate bond markets.

Analisa Penentu Flipping Activity pada Saham-Saham IPO di Indonesia

By conducting an Initial Public Offering (IPO), investors have the opportunity to do flipping activities. Although this activity indicates secondary market liquidity, heavy flipping is not favored by underwriters because it is considered detrimental to the performance of IPO shares. This study aims to analyze the factors that can encourage investors to carry out flipping activities at the time of the IPO. This study uses IPO shares in 2019, where there are 40 of 54 IPO shares. This research is a multiple regression which is then processed using IBM SPSS version 24 software. The results show that the variables that significantly affect flipping activity are initial return and oversubscription ratio. Meanwhile, firm age and firm size do not significantly affect flipping activity. The results of the study can be used as a reference for investors and issuers regarding the performance of IPO shares

West African Economic and Monetary Union

The limited development of markets in the region represents a key risk factor for financial stability. 1 Since the previous Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP) in 2008, the bank deposit base has increased from 18 percent to 30 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) and the buoyancy of the government securities market has benefited from the interruption of public deficit financing by the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO). Nevertheless, a significant portion of bank funding cannot be considered stable, due to the concentration of deposits held by large corporations. Apart from reserves held with the BCEAO, banks have little in the way of liquid assets, although the secondary market for government securities is beginning to grow for some issuers. Insufficient secondary market liquidity and the prevalence of unsecured intragroup transactions (60 percent of the total) in the interbank market exacerbate the risk and extent of potential losses for banks in the event of liquidity distress.

Does Secondary Market Liquidity Affect the Economy?

Does Secondary Market Liquidity Affect the Economy?

Liquidity in the German Corporate Bond Market: Has The Cspp Made a Difference?

The Eurosystem purchased €178 billion of corporate bonds between June 2016 and December 2018 under the Corporate Sector Purchase Programme (CSPP). Did these purchases lead to a deterioration of liquidity conditions in the corporate bond market, thus raising concerns about unintended consequences of large-scale asset purchases? To answer this question, we combine the Bundesbank’s detailed CSPP purchase records with a range of liquidity indicators for both purchased and nonpurchased bonds. We find that while the flow of purchases supported secondary market liquidity, liquidity conditions deteriorated in the long-run as the Bundesbank reduced the stock of corporate bonds available for trading in the secondary market.

Assessing Gains from Primary Market Allocations in Corporate Bonds

Different market characteristics and investor behavior render the use of underpricing, widely used for equity IPOs, inadequate as a measure of gains from primary market allocations in corporate bonds. We propose a measure that reflects the illiquidity costs that investors save by avoiding acquiring the new bonds in secondary market and show that it can far exceed underpricing. We validate the measure by linking it to changes in secondary market liquidity arising from bond characteristics or induced by regulatory changes. We illustrate the value of the new measure by using it to document that “favoritism” in primary market allocations increases when secondary market liquidity is low.

Liquidity in the German Corporate Bond Market: Has the CSPP Made a Difference?

The Eurosystem purchased €178 billion of corporate bonds between June 2016 and December 2018 under the Corporate Sector Purchase Programme (CSPP). Did these purchases lead to a deterioration of liquidity conditions in the corporate bond market, thus raising concerns about unintended consequences of large-scale asset purchases? To answer this question, we combine the Bundesbank's detailed CSPP purchase records with a range of liquidity indicators for both purchased and nonpurchased bonds. We find that while the flow of purchases supported secondary market liquidity, liquidity conditions deteriorated in the long-run as the Bundesbank reduced the stock of corporate bonds available for trading in the secondary market.

Does Securitization Weaken Screening Incentives?

AbstractWe test whether lenders’ screening incentives weaken when faced with the possibility of loan sales. We adopt a new measure of lending standards, the processing time for mortgage applications at the loan level, and use the collapse of the nonagency mortgage-backed securities issuance market as a natural experiment. Secondary market liquidity for nonconforming loans decreased significantly at the end of 2007, but the market for securitizing conforming loans did not experience the same breakdown. Following this event, lenders spent significantly more time screening applications for loans larger than the conforming loan limits than for those below the limits. The processing-time gap widened more for banks with lower capital, greater involvement in the originate-to-distribute model, and larger assets.

Balance Sheet Channel with Information-Trading Frictions in Secondary Markets

AbstractThis article develops a theory of the balance sheet channel that places a central emphasis on the liquidity of secondary markets for macro-contingent claims. We show that the presence of dispersed information and imperfect competition in secondary markets, interacted with financial constraints, results in mispricing and misallocation of aggregate risk, distorts aggregate investment, and exacerbates asset price and output volatility. The magnitude of balance sheet amplification effects becomes endogenously tied to the severity of market frictions, which likely vary over time and across economies. The laissez-faire equilibrium is constrained inefficient due to a novel externality originating from rent-extracting behaviour of agents in secondary markets. Optimal corrective policy boosts secondary market liquidity through subsidies to trade in macro-contingent claims, which enhances aggregate risk-sharing and stabilizes the business cycle.

Syndicate Structure, Primary Allocations, and Secondary Market Outcomes in Corporate Bond Offerings

We study corporate bond offerings, including underwriting syndicate structure, primary placement transactions, and secondary market outcomes. Although bond offerings rarely include “Greenshoe” options, the syndicate “overallocates” many issues, thereby attaining net short positions. Overallocations are economically substantive, facilitate the syndicate’s price stabilization efforts, and are largely offset within a few days after issuance. Secondary market liquidity is better and retail participation is higher for overallocated issues, and these issues appreciate less in the aftermarket, i.e., are less underpriced, despite syndicate purchases that temporarily support the bond price. The results indicate that the syndicate overallocates issues when uncertainty regarding secondary market order flow is high and that overallocation facilitates redistribution of the offer toward retail traders.

Deciphering the Fed’s Motivations Behind Corporate Bond Purchases after COVID-19

The Federal Reserve Bank and the U.S. Treasury bought several individual corporate bonds in response to COVID-19. We show that the program purchased bonds that became highly information-sensitive due to the crisis, bonds used as collateral in the repo market by primary bond dealers, and bonds held by corporate bond funds. It did not target bonds issued by firms that were hit harder by the pandemic or firms with a large employee base. On policy announcement days, credit spreads on all corporate bonds came down significantly, but the effect was stronger for the bonds more likely to be purchased. We find no evidence that the announcements improved the equity valuations of firms with purchased bonds. Further, primary dealers from whom large amounts of bonds were bought experienced significantly higher equity returns around the policy announcement days. Overall, these findings suggest that the program relaxed the funding constraints of intermediaries and supported secondary market liquidity.

Bank Capital and Loan Liquidity

We expand the bank liquidity creation concept from its current focus on bank portfolios to include providing liquidity to secondary markets for financial assets. We test opposing theories of the effects of bank capital on secondary market liquidity of syndicated loans. We find that higher bank capital significantly increases secondary market loan liquidity, consistent with risk absorption theory. The data also support the loan riskiness and bank balance sheet quality channels behind this theory. We use the exogenous capital shock from the 2012 JPMorgan Chase ‘London Whale’ incident to help establish causality. Our findings have important research and policy implications.

Underpricing in the euro area bond market: New evidence from post-crisis regulation and quantitative easing

We conduct an extensive study of underpricing in the euro area bond market and find strong evidence of underpricing. In cross-sectional regressions we find patterns that are consistent with bookbuilding-based theories of underpricing and inconsistent with liquidity-based explanations. The underpricing has increased considerably during the financial crisis and has remained at an elevated level since. We also show that secondary market liquidity in the euro area bond market is significantly lower in the post-crisis period than pre-crisis. These results are consistent with recent US evidence and may represent unintended side effects of new regulation enacted in the wake of the financial crisis, such as Basel III and the Volcker Rule. Furthermore, our evidence suggests that the ECB’s corporate sector purchase programs has led to a decrease in underpricing.

Information Acquisition and Secondary Market Liquidity

We develop a structural model to quantify the effects of informational and noninformational frictions on bond market liquidity. We decompose the liquidity component of the yield spread into two parts: one caused by information asymmetry between current and new bond investors, and the other caused by noninformational frictions that generate additional transaction costs. Our calibrated model matches the observed turnover ratios across different rating classes. We find that information asymmetry accounts for 0.59% to 1.86% of the yield spread for investment-grade bonds and 3.46% to 11.20% for high-yield bonds. Liquidity injection may hurt market liquidity by inducing more informed trading.