John Aidan Byrne – författare

Specialists and floor brokers, in direct contact on the trading floor, are at the heart of operations at the national U.S. equity exchanges. At the other end of the spectrum, electronic trading platforms characterize most other equity markets globally. Why have we not followed the international trend, and should we? Can the unique services offered by the floor be provided as effectively in an electronic environment? Which environment would institutional and retail traders each find most suitable to their special needs? These are some of the questions that will be addressed. In so doing, Electronic vs. Floor Based Trading will provide perspective on the future direction that exchange market structure is likely to follow in the coming years.

Competition between market centers is a driving force for innovation, dynamic growth, and reasonable pricing structures. Consolidating the order flow amasses liquidity, sharpens price discovery, and lowers trading costs. Can competition remain vibrant in a consolidated environment? How does inter-market competition play out with respect to trading decisions and listing decisions? What will the primary sources of competition be in the future? What impacts will follow from the NYSE’s acquisition of Archipelago, and NASDAQ’s acquisition of INET? Will exchanges further consolidate in Europe? What does consolidation imply about the efficient use of technology, the effective handling of institutional order flow, and overall market quality? These are some of the questions that were addressed at this conference.

Volatility is very much with us in today''s equity markets. Day-to-day price swings are often large and intra-day volatility elevated, especially at market openings and closings. What explains this? What does this say about the quality of our markets? Can short-period volatility be controlled by better market design and a more effective use of electronic technology? Featuring insights from an international array of prominent academics, financial markets experts, policymakers and journalists, the book addresses these and other questions concerning this timely topic. In so doing, we seek deeper knowledge of the dynamic process of price formation, and of the market structure and regulatory environment within which our markets function.

The Zicklin School of Business Financial Markets Series presents the insights emerging from a sequence of conferences hosted by the Zicklin School at Baruch College for industry professionals, regulators, and scholars. Much more than historical documents, the transcripts from the conferences are edited for clarity, perspective and context; material and comments from subsequent interviews with the panelists and speakers are integrated for a complete thematic presentation. Each book is focused on a well delineated topic, but all deliver broader insights into the quality and efficiency of the U.S. equity markets and the dynamic forces changing them.

The structure and operations of the US equity markets have evolved dramatically in recent decades with the advent of major technology and regulatory changes.  Nothing short of a groundbreaking shift has occurred in the securities industry as the transition has been made from predominantly manual, human intermediated trading to predominantly electronic trading.  By many measures, commission, spreads and market impact costs have been dramatically reduced in recent years. But does that mean that market quality has improved? That is the key question addressed in this book, titled after the Baruch College Conference, “The Quality of Our Financial Markets: Taking Stock of Where We Stand.”  Featuring contributions from a distinguished panel of practitioners, academicians, and regulators, this volume offers a penetrating and timely account of the most current issues in market quality, covering such topics as high-frequency trading; the Flash Crash of May 6th, 2010; dark pools; lit pools; fragmentation; disruptive and advanced technologies. And, very significantly, it takes a close look at the impact and influence of regulation.

The Zicklin School of Business Financial Markets Series presents the insights emerging from a sequence of conferences hosted by the Zicklin School at Baruch College for industry professionals, regulators, and scholars. Much more than historical documents, the transcripts from the conferences are edited for clarity, perspective and context; material and comments from subsequent interviews with the panelists and speakers are integrated for a complete thematic presentation. Each book is focused on a well delineated topic, but all deliver broader insights into the quality and efficiency of the U.S. equity markets and the dynamic forces changing them.