A model of price discovery and market design: Theory and empirical evidence

Abstract

Price discovery is an essential function performed by derivative markets. For a derivative exchange, its markets' ability to incorporate information into prices to "derive" the underlying asset's value is a key objective of market design. The J. Hasbrouck (1991a) model is applied to examine the design and price discovery of a futures market. First, the model is extended to consider a comprehensive dynamic interaction between the price-size coordinates of orders and trades. Second, floor and screen tick data from LIFFE's FTSE 100 index futures market is used to estimate the two models. The significance of order size variables in the extended model suggests that order flow transparency, which is supported by an electronic trading platform, improves price discovery. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.