The Impact of High-frequency Trading: Manipulation Distortion or a Better-functioning Market?

According to some estimates high-frequency trading by investment banks hedge funds and other players accounts for 60% to 70% of all trades in U.S. stocks explaining the enormous increase in trading volume over the past few years. But critics of the practice worry that those profits are coming out of ordinary investors’ pockets. Defenders on the other hand say high-frequency trading improves market liquidity helping to insure there is always a buyer or seller available when one wants to trade. Wharton faculty and others weigh in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.