Minimum price variations, discrete bid-ask spreads, and quotation sizes

Exchange minimum price variation regulation's create discretebid-ask spreads. If the minimum quotable spread exceeds thespread that otherwise would be quoted, spreads will be wideand the number of shares offered at the bid and ask may be large.A cross-sectional discrete spread model is estimated by usingintraday stock quotation spread frequencies. The results areused to project 1/16 spread usage frequencies given a 1/16-tick.Projected changes in quotation sizes and in trade volumes areobtained from regression models. For stocks priced under 10,the models predict spreads would decrease 38 percent, quotationsizes would decrease 16 percent, and daily volume would increase34 percent.