Skip to content 
High-frequency trading (HFT) has transformed financial markets over the past two decades. Using advanced algorithms and ultra-fast computers, HFT allows traders to execute thousands of trades in milliseconds. While HFT has brought benefits like enhanced market liquidity and tighter bid-ask spreads, it has also raised concerns about market stability, fairness, and ethical trading practices. This article explores the impact of HFT on liquidity and stability and discusses how this technology-driven approach affects retail traders.
Differentiating Institutional and Retail Traders
Before continuing, it’s essential to understand the distinction between institutional and retail traders.
- Institutional traders include large entities like hedge funds, investment banks, and proprietary trading firms. They have access to vast financial resources and high-end technology and typically execute trades in massive volumes. Institutional traders are the primary users of HFT because they can afford the high costs associated with ultra-fast infrastructure and advanced algorithmic systems.
- Retail traders, on the other hand, are individual investors who trade on their own behalf. While retail traders have access to online trading platforms, they don’t have the same speed, volume, or technological edge as institutional traders. As a result, they’re more vulnerable to the rapid market changes caused by HFT.
The Role of HFT in Providing Liquidity
One of the most recognised benefits of High-Frequency Trading (HFT) is its potential to increase liquidity in financial markets. HFT firms consistently place and execute a high volume of orders, ensuring active buyers and sellers are available. This high-frequency activity often helps reduce price volatility and narrow the bid-ask spread, making it easier for institutional and retail traders to execute trades at fairer prices.
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) reported that HFT, as part of multi-venue trading, has contributed to increased liquidity and lower transaction costs in European equity markets. While HFT narrows bid-ask spreads, some studies (e.g., by the Bank for International Settlements) suggest the liquidity provided by HFT can be unreliable during stress events.
Short-Lived Liquidity?
However, not all liquidity provided by HFT is beneficial. Some critics argue that HFT liquidity can be fleeting—often referred to as ghost liquidity. HFT firms place large buy and sell orders that may vanish within milliseconds, making it difficult for slower traders, especially retail participants, to take advantage of it. While institutional traders may have the speed and tools to react to this type of liquidity, retail traders often get left behind. So, does HFT truly enhance market efficiency or simply give large firms an unfair edge?
HFT and Flash Crashes
While HFT is praised for providing liquidity, it has also been blamed for contributing to market instability, particularly during periods of stress. One example is the 2010 Flash Crash, where the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost nearly 1,000 points in minutes. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) concluded that HFT exacerbated the crash by withdrawing liquidity rapidly, magnifying a cascading effect that wiped out around $1 trillion in market value before a swift recovery.
Similar flash events have occurred in other markets, such as the sudden drop in the British pound in 2016 and extreme price fluctuations in the cryptocurrency markets in 2021. In such cases, the reactive nature of HFT algorithms can sometimes create feedback loops, accelerating price declines and destabilising markets.
The Debate Over Market Fairness
The immense speed advantage of HFT has sparked debates about market fairness. HFT firms can leverage advanced technology to execute trades in milliseconds, allowing them to react to and even anticipate large orders placed by slower institutional and retail traders.
Michael Lewis’s book Flash Boys compares this advantage to a form of “legalised front-running,” where algorithms detect and exploit impending market moves before other participants have a chance to respond. To address these concerns, some exchanges, like IEX (Investors Exchange), have implemented measures such as speed bumps to introduce a slight delay in order execution, reducing the speed advantage that HFT firms hold.
How to Navigate a Market Dominated by HFT
For both retail traders and institutional investors, navigating markets dominated by HFT can be challenging but not impossible. Here are a few strategies that some retail traders use:
- Use Algorithms: Even though retail traders can’t match the speed of HFT, they can use their own algorithms or automated tools to make more efficient trades. While these won’t be as advanced as institutional systems, they can help level the playing field by executing trades based on preset conditions.
- Place Limit Orders: Retail traders, in particular, can help protect themselves by using limit orders instead of market orders. Limit orders ensure that trades are only executed at the desired price, reducing the risk of getting caught in rapid price fluctuations triggered by HFT.
- Tread Carefully During High Volatility: HFT firms thrive in volatile conditions, exacerbating price swings. Retail traders, who are more vulnerable to these fluctuations, should exercise caution or may want to avoid trading during highly volatile periods, like around significant news events, when HFT activity can cause sudden price spikes and drops.
- Stay Informed: Staying up-to-date on regulatory changes and understanding how HFT and algorithms work can provide valuable insights into how to adapt trading strategies in an HFT-dominated market.
Conclusion
High-frequency trading has revolutionised financial markets, delivering both benefits and challenges. On the one hand, HFT improves market liquidity, reduces transaction costs, and enhances price discovery. On the other hand, it sparks discussions about market stability and fairness, as institutional traders with access to HFT technology have a significant advantage over slower participants, especially retail traders.
Regulators and exchanges need to stay sharp, ensuring the rules of the game evolve with the technology. The goal? To keep markets fair and level the playing field for everyone, big or small. As for traders – whether you’re an institutional powerhouse or a savvy retail investor – it’s time to embrace adaptability.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency, organisation, employer, or company. The information provided is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered professional or expert advice.
References:
- European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA). (2020). High-Frequency Trading and Market Quality.
- Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. (2012). The Role of High-Frequency Trading in Financial Markets.
- U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. (2010). Findings Regarding the Market Events of May 6, 2010.
- Michael Lewis. (2014). Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt. W.W. Norton & Company.
- Investors Exchange (IEX). (2016). Introducing Speed Bumps for Fairer Trading.
