Trading Mechanisms, Liquidity Risk And International Equity Market Integration

This study examines whether trading mechanisms or market microstructures of markets have an effect on the integration issue of the international equity market. If the international equity market is integrated, identical stocks listed on different international stock exchanges should have the same rates of return, the same characteristics of stock price behavior and similar distributions of return. If different market microstructures, or trading mechanisms cause differences in characteristics of stock price behavior, those can lead to different rates of return because of different liquidity risk for the same stocks between markets. This study proposes international asset pricing with liquidity risk related to trading mechanisms. Systematic risk by itself cannot predict the sign of expected rate of return difference for the same stocks between international markets. Liquidity risk factors related to market microstructure provide explanations for the sign of rate of return differences between markets, However, liquidity risk factors related to market microstructure do not have a significant effect on the rate of return differences and sensitivity of return differences between markets, Trading mechanisms or market microstructures might not have a significant effect on the interpretation of the international equity market integration studies, if trading volume or other factors are controlled.