On the Determinants of Basis Spread for Taiwan Index Futures and the Role of Speculators

This paper investigates basis spreads on index futures listed on the Taiwan Futures Exchange. We analyze the role of speculators and of informed trading in Taiwan's futures market using intraday data during the five-day pre-expiration period. We demonstrate that liquidity, volatility, and informed trading are each significantly positively related to spread magnitude, indicating that speculators may dominate arbitrageurs. While spreads have narrowed as the market has matured, liquidity and informed trading continue to widen spreads despite the fact that a naïve arbitrage strategy outperforms the market.