Earlier quoted context omitted.
If prices are out of line, that definitely seems like a place where automated trading would be valuable. But HFTs' tech advantage isn't just about finding a better arbitrage algorithm or being smarter: it's also quite clearly about exploiting a pure technical advantage over other traders. The fact that HFTs are so willing to invest in speed even to achieve a tiny advantage over other HFTs kind of gives the game away.…
> The fact that HFTs are so willing to invest in speed even to achieve a tiny advantage over other HFTs kind of gives the game away. Re-pricing s&p500 futures offers in Chicago based on faster stock offer information from nyc is fine. It’s improving a market making strategy or taking offers that look like they will now be profitable. > And when people quite rightly observe that having a speed advantage over other tra…
This is objectively false. Cursing does not strengthen an argument. HFTs paid to jump the queue. It should be illegal but it is not. There are a number of low-latency strategies that are beneficial for price discovery such as index arbitrage or market-making (with requirements to stay in the market). A strategy that is not beneficial is to pay the exchange for first-look. That is front-running.