This book examines the characteristics of equity trading and especially two relatively new phenomena which are dark pools and flash trading. Over the last years these two terms became more and more important in equity trading and today they are a real alternative to traditional exchanges, like the New York Stock Exchange or Deutsche Börse. But these new evolutions do not only have advantages. Indeed there are concerns that beside the benefits, like fast execution times, sophisticated techniques and less market impact, these mechanisms can also burrow risks. These risks are difficult to estimate, with an evolution of these new platforms that was so quick, that one might have the impression that even regulators do not full yet understand what might happen in the case of a next financial crisis. However with a market share of 15%-20% of all trading activity in global equities and a jump of almost fivefold in the period of time from January to October 2009, these new mechanisms cannot be ignored anymore. Therefore this book explains in detail the functionality of dark pools and other current trading strategies. All important factors like different market structures, market liquidity aspects, as well as regulatory framework and technology facets will be reviewed. Further an outlook should be given to the reader on how the evolution of dark pools & co. might continue in the coming years. With dark pools and flash trading, trading is now dominated by rapid-fire computer systems that might create a more technically driven market, rather than one based on fundamental forces. It remains to see whether this evolution will continue.

A plain English guide to high frequency trading and off-exchange trading practices In Dark Pools & High Frequency Trading For Dummies, senior private banker Jukka Vaananen has created an indispensable and friendly guide to what really goes on inside dark pools, what rewards you can reap as an investor and how wider stock markets and pricing may be affected by dark pools. Written with the classic For Dummies style that has become a hallmark of the brand, Vaananen makes this complex material easy to understand with an insider's look into the topic. The book takes a detailed look at the pros and the cons of trading in dark pools, and how this type of trading differs from more traditional routes. It also examines how dark pools are currently regulated, and how the regulatory landscape may be changing. Learn what types of dark pools exist, and how a typical transaction works Discover the rules and regulations for dark pools, and some of the downsides to trading Explore how dark pools can benefit investors and banks, and who can trade in them Recognize the ins and outs of automated and high frequency trading Because dark pools allow companies to trade stocks anonymously and away from the public exchange, they are not subject to the peaks and troughs of the stock market, and have only recently begun to take off in a big way. Written with investors and finance students in mind, Dark Pools & High Frequency Trading For Dummies is the ultimate reference guide for anyone looking to understand dark pools and dark liquidity, including the different order types and key HFT strategies.

A news-breaking account of the global stock market's subterranean battles, Dark Pools portrays the rise of the "bots"--artificially intelligent systems that execute trades in milliseconds and use the cover of darkness to out-maneuver the humans who've created them. In the beginning was Josh Levine, an idealistic programming genius who dreamed of wresting control of the market from the big exchanges that, again and again, gave the giant institutions an advantage over the little guy. Levine created a computerized trading hub named Island where small traders swapped stocks, and over time his invention morphed into a global electronic stock market that sent trillions in capital through a vast jungle of fiber-optic cables. By then, the market that Levine had sought to fix had turned upside down, birthing secretive exchanges called dark pools and a new species of trading machines that could think, and that seemed, ominously, to be slipping the control of their human masters. Dark Pools is the fascinating story of how global markets have been hijacked by trading robots--many so self-directed that humans can't predict what they'll do next.

This report examines the confluence of factors that led to the rise of dark pools; the potential benefits and costs of such trading; some regulatory and congressional concerns over dark pools; recent regulatory developments by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), which oversees broker-dealers; and some recent lawsuits and enforcement actions garnering significant media attention.

This book deals with the topic of dark trading, or non-displayed, off-exchange trading execution. It discusses the development, importance and practice of dark equity trading in an environment dominated by high frequency, program, block and algorithmic trading, and considers its future prospects in a world of mobile capital and changing regulation.

You will find in this book exclusive interviews of renowned specialists about market microstructure and high-frequency trading strategies on lit markets and Dark Pools. This book was developed following extensive research to democratize as many aspects as possible on US and European market microstructure, high-frequency trading strategies and Dark Pools. Today, financial markets have become extremely complex. Market automation and new regulations have encouraged the emergence of new market players: high-frequency traders. These new players hold intraday positions. They deploy their specific orders and arbitrage strategies across multiple markets at close to the speed of light to get the best prices and to trade ahead of other market participants. Dark Pools, whose operations are also difficult to understand for most professionals, have been created, adding complexity to financial markets. Dark Pools seems a little bit scary. However, we will see that Dark Pools are advantageous in terms of price compared to regulated markets. “Fantastic job explaining some tough to understand topics.” – Joe Saluzzi, Partner and co-founder of Themis Trading and co-author of the book Broken Markets. William’s message: “High-frequency trading is a small world that is difficult to access. I have spent a large part of this last year writing this book, taking into account the interviews I have been able to carry out in order to democratize as many aspects as possible. Many thanks to Joe Saluzzi, Alexandre Laumonier, Dave Lauer, Benoît Lallemand, Jean-Philippe Bouchaud and Donald MacKenzie. This book will help you to better understand the winning strategies of high-frequency trading firms.”