Execution Quality in the Nasdaq Market
24 May 2006
Abstract
Boston, MA, USA May 24, 2006
An extensive study from Celent compares and ranks execution venues for Nasdaq stocks.
In a study that analyzes data for almost 2 billion orders and almost 200 billion shares, Celent compares and ranks the leading market centers. In terms of prices achieved for incoming orders, UBS Securities was ranked first, while Brut offered the fastest execution times.
| Price Ranking |
Speed Ranking |
| 1 |
UBS Securities |
1 |
Brut |
| 2 |
E*Trade |
2 |
Nasdaq MC |
| 3 |
Bear Stearns |
3 |
ArcaEx |
| 4 |
Automated Trading Desk |
4 |
Direct Edge ECN |
| 5 |
Inet |
5 |
Inet |
| Source: Celent |
In general ECNs offered the fastest execution times, but market makers offered significantly more price improvement. However, differences among market makers were very significant and varied widely depending on the size and type of the order and the liquidity of the stock in question.
According to Octavio Marenzi, CEO of Celent and author of the study, "The frequency with which market centers obtain price improvement for their incoming orders showed a huge dispersion. At the top end, some market makers were able to price improve customer orders more than 95% of the time. At the low end of the spectrum, there are firms who seem to avoid getting their clients price improvement altogether, and if it occurs, then it is by accident."
Note: Size of circle corresponds to number of shares executed.A table of contents is available online. The 34-page report contains 20 charts and four tables.
Members of Celent's Institutional Securities & Investments and Retail Securities & Investments research services can download the report electronically by clicking on the icon to the left. Non-members should contact info@celent.com for more information.
