We propose a dynamic equilibrium model of asset prices and trading volume with heterogeneous agents facing fixed transactions costs. We show that even small fixed costs can give rise to large 'no-trade' regions for each agent's optimal trading policy and a significant illiquidity discount in asset prices. We perform a calibration exercise to illustrate the empirical relevance of our model for aggregate data. Our model also has implications for the dynamics of order flow, bid/ask spreads, market depth, the allocation of trading costs between buyers and sellers, and other aspects of market microstructure, including a square-root power law between trading volume and fixed costs which we confirm using historical US stock market data from 1993 to 1997.
*Published:
Andrew W. Lo & Harry Mamaysky & Jiang Wang, 2004. "Asset Prices and Trading Volume under Fixed Transactions Costs," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 112(5), pages 1054-1090, October.
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