A new report from Aite Group, LLC examines the emergence of high frequency trading firms as a major force in institutional trading. The report focuses on major trends impacting high frequency proprietary trading firms, and the reasons these firms have become leading liquidity providers in all exchange-trade products.
High frequency trading firms have been flying under the radar until recently, preferring to take a back seat to the bulge bracket firms and hedge funds that have received most of the attention. However, while the Goldmans and Morgans of the world were building up their global empire, these firms were fine-tuning their trading models and low-latency technology infrastructure. Today, the growing market clout of these high frequency trading firms cannot be ignored. As a collective group, they represent a significant force in trading and market structure. These firms will play a more public role in global securities markets for many more years to come, whether they like it or not. The high frequency trading community is now responsible for more than 60% of average daily volume in U.S. equities.
“As tighter regulation sweeps through every corner of trading, regulators must be careful to recognize the unique importance of the high frequency trading community,” says Sang Lee, managing partner with Aite Group and author of this report. “With its growing market presence, any potential regulation designed to restore the faith in the global financial markets must include active participation of the high frequency trading community.”
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