The last two "trading the tape" and "statistical trading" are not arbitrage nor market maker. They have been existed for more than half a century and has nothing to do with hft. So, I assume you mainly focus on the first one liquidity providing. If you ask your boss or anyone who has traded before 1998, they will told you that there's way much more liquidity than now(I'm not arguing whether more liquidity is better, just stating a fact), because the spread is one quarter of dollar then, so it pays to submit limit order and wait. Now, the spread is only one cent, so not worth much to wait. Even worth, some htf even jumps in the queue. here's what they do. assume now the bid and ask are 4 and 4.01. htf my be able to buy at 4.0001 or sell at 4.0099, slightly better than the bid ask price. by doing so, they steal orders from 4 and 4.01 and tamp retail investors' incentives to use limit order. the market liquidity becomes even shallower. Meanwhile, they claim they create liquidity. Of course, there're some other strategies. e.g., they may sometimes detect any mutual fund buying or selling and then try to front running. This has nothing to do with retail investors, though. In one word, the whether they provide liquidity is still in debate.
Thanks for the clarification. Yeah, the better price is one of the privileges granted to MM.
arbitrage because assume sell
【在 f******h 的大作中提到】 : The last two "trading the tape" and "statistical trading" are not arbitrage : nor market maker. They have been existed for more than half a century and : has nothing to do with hft. So, I assume you mainly focus on the first one : liquidity providing. If you ask your boss or anyone who has traded before : 1998, they will told you that there's way much more liquidity than now(I'm : not arguing whether more liquidity is better, just stating a fact), because : the spread is one quarter of dollar then, so it pays to submit limit order : and wait. Now, the spread is only one cent, so not worth much to wait. : Even worth, some htf even jumps in the queue. here's what they do. assume : now the bid and ask are 4 and 4.01. htf my be able to buy at 4.0001 or sell