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Quote from chasinfla:
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the issue is that these tiny increments are used to obfuscatethe job of a market: efficient exchange of private property. The tiny increments/decrements are being used to mask what the true market is, thereby making for lots of frivolous trades. Guess that's a good thing if you're making a living off the infrastructure.
"Duke and Duke always get the commission."
sure, our brokerage makes money "living off the infrastructure" but a much greater piece of our business is our groups trading/market making operations where wider spreads don't necessarily hurt. I could also argue that penny spreads actually cost a brokerage more due to an increased number of orders which tax infrastructure. Besides, what is a frivolous trade? That makes no sense to me at all. If a buyer and seller meet at a price, isn't that what an auction market is all about?
It works both ways and pennies do matter. 10,000 shares * .01 = 100 bucks; 1 million shares * .01 = 10K. If you are trading larger size - in particular think mutual funds and the institutions, each penny saved adds up to substantial numbers quite quickly.
I'm not necessarily for or against penny increments. My comment though was made to point out your analogy wasn't comparing apples to apples.
the job of a market: efficient exchange of private property. The tiny increments/decrements are being used to mask what the true market is, thereby making for lots of frivolous trades. Guess that's a good thing if you're making a living off the infrastructure.