Compares the trading efficiency of electronic and open outcry futures markets. Argues that the difference between the German DAX (floor) and FDAX (electronic) markets is due to asset type, not to information processing speed. Describes the German trading environment, comparing trading data from...

Outlines previous research attempts to explain the behaviour of second moments of price and return distributions and theories of how Big Players (i.e. those with enough discretionary power to influence the market but little sensitivity to profit/loss consequences) affect the volatility and...