Here's a statement of the obvious: The opinions expressed here are those of the participants, not those of the Mutual Fund Observer. We cannot vouch for the accuracy or appropriateness of any of it, though we do encourage civility and good humor.
Funny. " The daily action in the markets is a form of noisy, random, Brownian motion. If you are looking for a clear reason as to why stocks did what they did, then you are in the wrong line of business."
Ritholtz. A dose of sanity and reason. *And actually, we're all screwed. The HFT machines have the jump on us, always, at every moment. Gyrations in the Market are not any longer MOSTLY from humans. It's computers. In and out and BACK in, in a nano-second.
This is how religion takes hold. As the means to explain a world that is too complex to be modeled easily. Faith in a story becomes the means to satisfy that need for explanation but with non-falsifiable statements. Usually, such a story requires targets for both good and evil to explain good and bad events. HFT trading is serving that purpose for now for the latter.
While I believe this belongs in "Off topic", I admit that I do not equate HFT with Market Makers, since the HFTs do not intentionally accept losses as part of "doing business".
Cman usually offers insightful comments, but he's become a bit opaque for me this time.
Market Makers do well while doing good; HFTs do well, and have no intent to do good (or harm, since they do not intend to provide a service to the market.
I have a neutral position on HFT's. That's because I really do not understand them, yet they seem to fit in the progression of the markets. It makes me wonder if all the negative news on HFT's is also due to lack of understanding?
I have a neutral position on HFT's. That's because I really do not understand them, yet they seem to fit in the progression of the markets. It makes me wonder if all the negative news on HFT's is also due to lack of understanding?
Read "Dark Pools" by Scott Patterson, which came out before the Michael Lewis book. Patterson's "The Quants" is also an entertaining read.
As @JohnChisum puts it above, there is a lot of misunderstanding and mischaracterization about HFT and its role. For example, HFT traders also put money at risk, just like Market Makers and don't win every trade. But they are profitable over the long run which is why they do it, or why investment banking exists or any commerce exists. But you wouldnt know that from reading popular press or demagouging authors. Even people like John Bogle have highlighted the good that HFT has done and you see it every time you do a trade with tight penny spreads or get commission free trades. But it is easier to demonize what one doesn't understand.
Not unlike the complex issues behind gun control or GMO foods which are also not amenable to simple good/bad judgments although a lot of people think it obvious on both sides of that issue. We saw it more recently in the Bitcoin news.
Comments
Ritholtz. A dose of sanity and reason.
*And actually, we're all screwed. The HFT machines have the jump on us, always, at every moment. Gyrations in the Market are not any longer MOSTLY from humans. It's computers. In and out and BACK in, in a nano-second.
Cman usually offers insightful comments, but he's become a bit opaque for me this time.
Market Makers do well while doing good; HFTs do well, and have no intent to do good (or harm, since they do not intend to provide a service to the market.
scottpattersonreports.com/
Also a sample chapter of the book:
scottpattersonreports.com/scottpress/wp-content/themes/thequants/images/Dark_Pools_Pro_Ch1.pdf
mutualfundobserver.com/discuss/discussion/comment/38948/#Comment_38948
As @JohnChisum puts it above, there is a lot of misunderstanding and mischaracterization about HFT and its role. For example, HFT traders also put money at risk, just like Market Makers and don't win every trade. But they are profitable over the long run which is why they do it, or why investment banking exists or any commerce exists. But you wouldnt know that from reading popular press or demagouging authors. Even people like John Bogle have highlighted the good that HFT has done and you see it every time you do a trade with tight penny spreads or get commission free trades. But it is easier to demonize what one doesn't understand.
Not unlike the complex issues behind gun control or GMO foods which are also not amenable to simple good/bad judgments although a lot of people think it obvious on both sides of that issue. We saw it more recently in the Bitcoin news.
Exactly. Well said.