Money Never Sleeps: Why Algos are the Beating Heart of 24/7 Equities By Horizon Trading Solutions - May 13, 2024 Share Tweet Share By Sylvain Thieullent, CEO of Horizon Trading Solutions Sylvain Thieullent “Money never sleeps pal” – remember that infamous line from the 80’s classic Wall Street? Who would have thought this saying would become a literal reality. For over three decades since Michael Dougals graced our screens as go getter Gordon Gekko, making money in cash equity markets has been at the mercy of speed – as the pinstriped Gekko’s have been replaced by high-speed hoodie geeks. Milliseconds may have made the next generation of Gekko’s, but they have also broken fortunes of others – all at the click of a button. It is therefore intriguing to see the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) contemplating what would be, frankly, a seismic shift to trading stocks around the clock, 24/7. Equity investors have the rise of cryptocurrency trading to thank, or not thank depending on your preference. Operating 24/7, crypto has set a precedent for round-the-clock market activity. Stock exchanges, traditionally confined by time zones, could now find themselves playing catch-up in a world where trading knows no bounds. As other major markets, from U.S Treasuries to leading stock index futures embrace continuous trading, the pressure on traditional stock exchanges mounts. The issue is that sustaining high-speed trading operations in a 24/7 cash equities market would require underlying infrastructure capable of handling constant information streams, executing trades rapidly, not to mention responding to unforeseen market changes. Maintaining such infrastructure could become more costly than a Gordon Gekko stop loss. Particularly when one considers the cold hard commercial reality of trading around the clock. It essentially means encountering a diverse range of market conditions, including overnight news about wars breaking out. As regulators continue to assess the implications and market participants weigh in too, one thing becomes abundantly clear – the quality of algos deployed by financial institutions will be paramount in navigating this potentially brave new trading world. But why? Well, unlike humans who need their sleep, algos operate around the clock. For financial institutions eyeing opportunities beyond U.S. hours, trading in the dead of night requires the need to navigate potentially volatile markets with precision and extreme quickness. The likes of Nvidia or Apple may be up for grabs between 8pm and 4am Eastern time, but seizing these opportunities demands algos that can operate effectively in the absence of human intervention. Outside of regular trading hours, liquidity tends to be thinner, meaning there are likely to be fewer buyers and sellers in the market at 2am (who would have thought). Thin liquidity can result in wider bid-ask spreads and increased price slippage, making it more challenging for high-speed traders to execute trades at desired prices. Only algos capable of analysing vast volumes of data, detecting patterns, and executing trades with split-second precision will separate the winners from the losers. Moreover, with regulators scrutinizing every move, ensuring the integrity and reliability of these algorithms is key. The transition to a 24/7 stock exchange is not without its challenges. Yet, it presents a wealth of opportunities for those equipped to navigate its complexities. While the allure is undeniable, the risks are equally substantial. As the NYSE contemplates the future of trading, one thing is clear – in the 24/7 era, the quality of algorithms reigns supreme. Failure to adopt the right algo risks consigning them to irrelevance in a market that never sleeps.
Ummmm yea, this guy is a bit late. We spoke about this 16 yrs ago. Markets need to be open 24/7 From 2008 https://www.elitetrader.com/et/threads/markets-should-be-open-every-day.114985/#post-1757604
I think the dude who wrote this is missing the point. In lieu of earnings and other major news, volume drops significantly for most stocks after the close of the day session. This would not likely to change just because it goes to 24/7 cycle. Instead of just extending the pre-/post-market hours, we should open our market to traders from other continents, much like the Forex market. This way the market can remain active around the clock (eg. 9:00-16:00 EST for American traders, 20:00-06:00 for Asian traders, then the rest for the Europeans). Otherwise, you'll merely have a dull sleepy market, no different than what's currently happening in the extended market hours.
Never trust such reports. 24X7 market is only suitable for some products like copper, crude oil, gold, major index futures as the Asians, Europeans, the Americans are very eager to trade those things. 24x7 for the equity market might be useful on certain days (eg earnings release days). But then, CEOs don't like earnings data to be released during trading hours.
Except those in other major trading zones (Asia and Europe) mainly want to trade our RTH session. And same with U.S. traders wanting to trade Asia or Europe when most of their volume takes place. I wonder if any analysis has been done to see whether Crypto trading fluctuations dramatically with the movement of the Sun. I guess the trouble with determining that is one would have to know locations (time zone wise) of the trades and that isn't possible? My guess at least 70/30 is done during each of the parties day time. Though who knows? A quick and dirty search came up with this:- "Crypto is traded around the clock, but the highest trading volumes typically occur during the overlap of major market hours. This often happens when the US, European, and Asian markets are active simultaneously. However, specific trading patterns can vary based on market conditions and investor preferences." Jun 16, 2023
As I thought Crypto does not seem to be any different from other markets. There are patterns to when active, liquid, high volume trading takes place and other times of the day/night where it is the opposite:- https://www.coindesk.com/learn/is-there-a-best-time-to-trade-crypto-heres-what-the-data-says/ Is There a 'Best' Time to Trade Crypto? Here’s What the Data Says
True. For better or worse NYC is the financial capital of the world and it's heartbeat drives globally liquidity.
"Dark Pools" by Patterson documents the rise of ECNs and the beginning of the Algo Wars. Anyone have other recommendations for books as good? Most of stuff providing any insights was published over a decade ago and we can be certain the domain has continued to develop & progress.