Background
The term “tick” refers to the smallest increment of price movement of a security traded in a financial market. Its size and value are determined by the regulations of each market.
Historical Context
Historically, the concept of the tick evolved alongside the development of financial markets and their trading regulations. Originally, fractions were used in U.S. stock markets to denote changes in security prices; however, these were decimalized in 2001.
Definitions and Concepts
A tick is defined as the minimum price movement of a security in a financial market. The tick size is fixed by the market regulations and differs between various markets. For instance, in the U.S. stock markets, the tick size is $0.01, while it may vary for different futures markets.
Tick Value
The tick value is the cash value of the tick size, representing the actual monetary difference a tick represents in trading.
Major Analytical Frameworks
Classical Economics
In Classical Economics, the focus is on price mechanisms and how supply and demand interact, which indirectly involves the concept of price changes represented by ticks.
Neoclassical Economics
Neoclassical Economics examines markets with a focus on equilibrium prices, tying closely with the concept of ticks as pricing moves towards equilibrium.
Keynesian Economic
Keynesians might not focus directly on individual price movements but on the broader market implications and aggregated price levels.
Marxian Economics
Marxian analysis can consider ticks in the broader discussion of market exploitation and price adjustments but often in relation to broader structural market considerations.
Institutional Economics
This framework would focus on how institutions set regulations, such as defining tick sizes, and their impact on market behavior and efficiency.
Behavioral Economics
Behavioral economists might study how small price movements (ticks) affect trader psychology and decision-making.
Post-Keynesian Economics
Post-Keynesians would be interested in how tick sizes might influence market volatility and liquidity.
Austrian Economics
Austrians could analyze ticks in terms of their impact on entrepreneurial calculations and market coordination.
Development Economics
Development Economics does not generally focus on ticks; however, the establishment of tick sizes can showcase market development and regulatory maturity.
Monetarism
Monetarists may consider how the central bank’s policies affect the frequency and size of price movements in securities, including the concept of ticks.
Comparative Analysis
Ticks vary by market and form an essential aspect of understanding market behavior, price discovery, and trading dynamics. Comparative analysis would look at how different market structures define their tick sizes and the implications on trading and liquidity.
Case Studies
- Decimalization in U.S. Stock Markets (2001): Impact analysis on trading volumes and bid-ask spreads.
- Tick Size Pilot Program: Analysis on how changes in tick size thresholds affected liquidity and market quality.
Suggested Books for Further Studies
- “A Random Walk Down Wall Street” by Burton Malkiel
- “Market Microstructure Theory” by Maureen O’Hara
Related Terms with Definitions
- Spread: The difference between the bid and the ask prices of a security.
- Liquidity: The degree to which an asset can be quickly bought or sold in the market without affecting its price.
- Order Book: The list of buy and sell orders for a security or commodity organized by price level.
- Price Discovery: The process by which the market determines the price of a security.
- Bid-Ask Spread: The difference between the highest price (bid) a buyer is willing to pay for a security and the lowest price (ask) a seller is willing to accept.
