Background
A quote-driven market, also known as a dealer market, relies heavily on market-makers to create liquidity by quoting prices at which they are willing to buy (bid) and sell (ask) securities. This type of market contrasts sharply with order-driven markets where prices are determined based on accumulated buy and sell orders from market participants.
Historical Context
The concept of a quote-driven market has deep historical roots, particularly in traditional stock exchanges. Historically, these markets were pivotal in providing continuous pricing and liquidity, enabling smoother functioning for investors. Notable examples include the NASDAQ in the United States and the London Stock Exchange’s SEAQ (Stock Exchange Automated Quotations) system.
Definitions and Concepts
A quote-driven market is characterized by market-makers who provide quotes for securities. These market participants offer prices at which they are prepared to buy (bid price) and sell (ask price) securities, thereby creating liquidity. They adjust these prices based on the quantities of stock they hold, increasing prices if they are short and decreasing them if they have excess.
Major Analytical Frameworks
Classical Economics
Classical economists focus primarily on the self-regulating aspects of markets with less emphasis on microstructural elements like market-making.
Neoclassical Economics
Neoclassical economics typically assumes perfect competition, which often neglects the significant role market-makers play in quote-driven markets where imperfect competition is evident.
Keynesian Economics
Keynesian economists may analyze quote-driven markets through their impact on liquidity and the velocity of money, emphasizing how market makers influence real economic activity, particularly in times of uncertainty or financial stress.
Marxian Economics
From a Marxian perspective, the role of market-makers in determining securities prices and their potential monopolistic or oligopolistic behaviors might be critiqued, particularly concerning capital concentration and control over market processes.
Institutional Economics
Institutional economics would delve into the structures and roles of market-makers, examining how these entities evolve over time and how institutional rules and regulations shape their activities in quote-driven markets.
Behavioral Economics
Behavioral economists could study quote-driven markets to understand how market-makers’ quotes affect investor behavior, including potential biases and irrationalities in trading practices.
Post-Keynesian Economics
Post-Keynesian views would highlight the role of market-makers in maintaining liquidity and stability in financial markets, focusing on their pragmatic and adaptive strategies rather than purely market equilibria.
Austrian Economics
Austrian economists might critique quote-driven markets for their potential to involve interventions by market-makers, contrasting this with the ideal of decentralized price discovery.
Development Economics
In development economics, the discussion would be around how quote-driven markets can support or hinder financial development in emerging economies, considering access to liquidity and capital formation.
Monetarism
Monetarist perspectives may consider the implications of quote-driven markets for the money supply process, highlighting the significance of liquidity provided by market-makers in implementing monetary policy.
Comparative Analysis
When comparing quote-driven markets to order-driven markets, the key differences revolve around price-setting mechanisms and liquidity provision. In quote-driven markets, market-makers adjust prices continuously based on their positions. Conversely, order-driven markets rely on matching buy and sell orders to determine the market-clearing price, usually at specific intervals.
Case Studies
- NASDAQ: This major stock exchange in the United States operates primarily as a quote-driven market with multiple market-makers for each listed security.
- London Stock Exchange’s SEAQ system: Historically used to exemplify quote-driven systems, with market-makers playing a central liquidity provision role.
Suggested Books for Further Studies
- Market Microstructure Theory by Maureen O’Hara
- An Introduction to High-Frequency Finance by Richard A. Rosenblatt, Xin Guo, and matches Wei Xiong
- The Microstructure of Financial Markets by Frank de Jong and Barbara Rindi
Related Terms with Definitions
- Order-Driven Market: A market where securities prices are determined by buy and sell orders from market participants, matched at specific intervals to find a market-clearing price.
- Bid Price: The price at which a market-maker or other entity is willing to purchase a security.
- Ask Price: The price at which a market-maker or other entity is willing to sell a security.
- Market-Maker: An individual or institution that buys and sells securities at specified prices to provide liquidity to the market.
