Electronic Trading Puts the Pressure on Brokers' Commissions
According to the Connecticut-based firm, a survey of institutional investors predicted that by the year 2010, 55% of equity trading volume will be executed through electronic and portfolio trading systems.
Among other effects of this transformation, this
means that commissions paid to brokers by institutions
have fallen off by 4% in the 12-month period studied by
Greenwich Associates. According to the study, commissions
held steady at about $10.8 billion in 2005 and 2006, but
slipped to approximately $10.3 billion in 2006-2007.
The authors of the study argue that commissions declined
because more trading volume was executed through
portfolio and electronic trading systems. The volume of
trades conducted in this way spiked to 37% from 2006-2007
from less than a third the prior year.
Electronic trading has also driven down trading
costs. “All-in” blended commission rates for
institutional trades across single-stock, program and
direct-to-market electronic trades have fallen to an
average of just 3.16 cents per share, according to the
study. Included in that average is the 3.8 cents per
share weighted average commission rate on NYSE agency
trades – down from 3.9 cents in 2006 and 4.0 cents in
2005 – as well as the 1.8 cent per share average rate on
electronic trades and 1.7 cent average for portfolio
trades.
Algorithmic trading is propelling this increase in
electronic trading in U.S. equities, showing a growth of
15% of U.S. equity trading volume in 2006-2007 from 10%
the prior year. Institutions predict this trend will
continue and account for 23% of total U.S.share trading
volume on a market-wide basis over the next three years,
according to the research.
For more information, visit
www.greenwich.com
.
You Might Also Like:
« Retirement Groups Weigh in on Miller Fee Disclosure Proposal