This paper applies the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) to make rolling 1-minute-ahead return forecasts using the entire cross section of lagged returns as candidate predictors. The LASSO increases both out-of-sample fit and forecast-implied Sharpe ratios. And, this...

This paper uses wavelets to decompose each stock's trading-volume variance into frequency-specific components. We find that stocks dominated by short-run fluctuations in trading volume have abnormal returns that are 1% per month higher than otherwise similar stocks where short-run fluctuations...

How do arbitrageurs find variables that predict returns? If a predictor lasts 30 days or more, then a clever arbitrageur can use his intuition to get the job done. But, what's an arbitrageur supposed to do if a predictor lasts 30 minutes or less? An arbitrageur's intuition is useless if the...

We show that queueing rationing under price controls drives high-frequency trading. A one-cent uniform tick size (minimal price variation) creates rents and generates queues for liquidity provision, particularly for securities with lower prices (larger relative tick sizes). Speed rations the...

This paper introduces a new tool — the wavelet-variance estimator — that measures the fraction of trading activity at each investment horizon. We find substantial cross-sectional variation in horizons, even for stocks with the same volume, size, and liquidity. Moreover, the fraction of...

We analyze how a large informed trader chooses between a lit exchange and a dark pool. We show that (1) the market share of the dark pool increases when the informed trader trades; (2) the market share of the dark pool increases more when the value of information is higher; and (3) price...

Independent technological glitches forced two separate trading halts on different U.S. exchanges during the week of July 6, 2015. During each halt, all other exchanges remained open. We exploit exogenous variation provided by this unprecedented coincidence, in conjunction with a proprietary...

Independent technological glitches forced two separate trading halts on different exchanges during the week of July 6, 2015. During each halt, all other exchanges remained open. We exploit exogenous variation provided by this unprecedented coincidence, in conjunction with a novel proprietary...

Equity markets world-wide have seen a proliferation of trading venues and the consequent fragmentation of order flow. In this paper, we examine how fragmentation of trading is affecting the quality of trading in U.S. markets. We propose using newly-available TRF (trade reporting facilities)...