THE DETERMINANTS AND DYNAMICS OF BID-ASK SPREADS ON THE LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE

We analyze the effect of various factors on the size of spreads on the London Stock Exchange since “Big Bang” and find that the price of a security, volume of transactions, risk associated with security returns, and degree of competition among market makers explain 91 percent of the cross-sectional variation in spreads. The results are consistent with the argument that the inside spread encompasses the order-processing, inventory-adjustment, and adverse-information cost of spreads. We also investigate the speed at which spreads move toward their normal levels after a temporary deviation. Although the speed of adjustment varies across firms, the cross-sectional median of 0.896 indicates it takes more than one period (day) for the adjustment to be completed. The volume of transactions and the degree of competition among market makers are the significant factors that affect the speed of correction in spreads toward their normal levels. This implies private information is incorporated more quickly into prices for stocks with greater competition and high trading volume.     

EVIDENCE OF MANAGERIAL TIMING: THE CASE OF EXCHANGE LISTINGS

Before an exchange listing, stock performance is exceptionally high. Earlier research reports that post-listing performance is poor. I document that the post-listing performance of most firms that list on either the American Stock Exchange or the New York Stock Exchange differs little from that of similar stocks that do not list. However, listing stocks that experience the highest pre-listing performance underperform their control stocks after listing. This finding supports the hypothesis that managers can time exchange listings around a peak in stock performance.     

MARKET EFFICIENCY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: A CASE STUDY OF THE NAIROBI STOCK EXCHANGE

This study extends evidence on the efficiency of stock markets in developing countries using data from the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE), and also addresses some methodological issues which have contributed to the sparseness of similar studies. Evidence is provided that small markets such as the NSE may provide empirical results consistent with weak-form efficiency. This evidence holds for the NSE irrespective of whether bid-, ask-, or market-price series are used in conducting the study.     

A NOTE ON THE BEHAVIOR OF SECURITY RETURNS: A TEST OF STOCK MARKET OVERREACTION AND EFFICIENCY

Researchers have debated stock market efficiency for years and have found several apparent anomalies, among them the overreaction investment strategy. In a sample of virtually all AMEX and NYSE stocks over twenty-one years, it is demonstrated that abnormal returns earned in one year are positively related to the abnormal returns earned in the next year. This evidence is contrary to the overreaction investment philosophy.     

THE INTEGRATION OF EUROPEAN STOCK MARKETS: THE CASE OF THE BANKS

This paper presents an analysis of the degree of integration in the security market for European banks' stock using daily data for the period 30th November, 1987-28th October, 1988. In particular we study eight banks located in four European states, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Some degree of integration might be expected to be present as a consequence of a common regulatory regime incorporated in the Second European Banking Directive and common capital adequacy requirements. We find strong evidence that a high degree of integration does exist, at least amongst EC states. This suggests that the benefits claimed for capital market deregulation, with its associated 'convergence criteria' requirements, may already be being enjoyed by EC states.     

VOLUNTARY DISCLOSURES IN AN EMERGING CAPITAL MARKET: SOME EVIDENCE FROM THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

Prior research has pointed to the need to subdivide aspects of voluntary disclosure rather than treat this as an amorphous mix. However, questions about the relative reasons for the variations observed across categories of voluntary disclosure remain open to investigation. This paper contributes to that investigation in the context of a European emerging capital market. Three categories of voluntary disclosure are developed (namely, corporate environment, social responsibility and finance-related disclosures) and each category is tested for association with seven company-specific variables (corporate size, gearing, profitability, liquidity, industry, share return and listing status) in the annual reports of 87 companies listed on the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE). The extent of voluntary disclosure is relatively low. Using linear regression analysis, different explanations are found for the separate categories of disclosure based on prior evidence. Interpretation and analysis are offered in the context of the operation of the ASE.     

THE DETERMINANTS OF MARKET BID ASK SPREADS ON THE AUSTRALIAN STOCK EXCHANGE: CROSS-SECTIONAL ANALYSIS

Prior research into the cost of trading on the Australian Stock Exchange has identified brokerage fees and the bid-ask spread as significant elements of total transaction costs. While an enormous volume of research has examined the determinants of spreads in US markets, no work has so far addressed the issue for the Australian market-place. Given the importance of spreads as a transaction cost, this work redresses this imbalance and at the same time provides evidence on whether alternative market structures underlying different exchanges give rise to differences in the determinants of spreads. Using prior US research as our benchmark, our results suggest that notwithstanding microstructure differences between the Australian and US exchanges, there are three fundamental determinants of spreads that transcend differences in the market-places. These are the level of trading activity, price volatility and stock price levels. Together these three factors account for up to 94% of the total cross-sectional variation in percentage bid ask spreads on the ASX.     

ON THE "UNANIMITY" LITERATURE AND THE SECURITY MARKET LINE CRITERION: A NOTE

This paper challenges recent results showing that under uncertainty firms can use the security market line criterion to evaluate investments in monopolised product markets. The paper looks at the simplest certainty case and shows mathematically and graphically that no unanirriously supported investment criterion can be derived to evaluate projects with monopoly power. Hence, they cannot possibly be derived on the more complicated uncertainty case, even given the restrictive assumptions necessary to derive the SML. Unanimity breaks down with monopoly power.     

新形势下产融结合之道

就产融结合来看,东部地区的金融业比较发达,应该重点发展金融主导型的合作模式,而在中西部地区则应该发展产业主导型的合作模式。     

THE OVER-THE-COUNTER MARKET AND NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE TRADING HALTS

This paper examines the over-the-counter (OTC) market activities for stocks temporarily suspended by the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Unlike previous studies, we use transaction-to-transaction data on the NASDAQ during NYSE trading halts to investigate the price adjustment process between market equilibria. The evidence indicates that while being halted by the NYSE, the same stocks have exhibited significantly greater volatility in the OTC market. Since the volatile price movement is mainly random and provides no arbitraging opportunities for the OTC market traders, we do not find support for the proposal that trading halts should be mandatory for all trading locations.     

新兴资本市场业务与银行传统业务的整合与发展

面对加入WTO后全能型外资银行的挑战,国内银行必须以传统业务与新兴资本市场业务的有效整合为突破口,不断进行金融创新,以巩固和发展客户,并通过业务多元化分散经营风险.本文通过对新兴资本市场业务与商业银行传统业务整合内涵、特点和方式的分析,以及对工商银行广东省分行实践的总结,认为实现有效持续的整合,不仅要从战略上把握基本趋势、确定合理方针和与时俱进的原则,而且要从战术上制定切合实际的策略和方案;不仅发展服务于资本市场的派生型、延伸型和交叉型业务,而且要发掘两者之间功能的综合化、证券化业务,使业务整合在层次上得以深化,在内涵上得以升华.