Liquidity is the lifeblood that courses through the veins of trading. It’s the force that keeps markets vibrant, dynamic and capable of serving the needs of investors and traders alike. Here I’ll aim to unravel the intricate tapestry of market liquidity, exploring how it works and how price tirelessly searches for it.
By Lewis Daniels, Chairman of Mayfair Ventures
In its raw form, liquidity refers to the ease with which assets can be bought or sold in a market without significantly affecting their prices. Imagine a bustling marketplace where buyers and sellers gather to exchange goods. If there are plenty of participants, and they are willing to buy and sell freely, that market is considered liquid.
Conversely, a market with few participants or where they hesitate to trade is deemed illiquid.
An example of supply versus demand is if you had a one-of-a-kind car, let’s say it’s some vintage Ferrari. It’s a one-off; the supply is limited, but the demand would be high so the price could get driven up by the lack of supply. This is an example of low liquidity.
The opposite would be true if someone were selling sand in Saudi Arabia. The demand would be low as it’s accessible to most there; this also means the price would be driven down. So, whilst the sand is a wild example, tone this back a little and change the ‘item’ for something like gold or Bitcoin.
In both assets, there is supply; in both instruments, there is demand. Liquidity will change depending on the price and availability at that price.
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The Two Sides of Market Liquidity
To grasp the intricacies of market liquidity, it is essential to understand the two sides of the liquidity coin: bid and ask.
Bid Liquidity. This represents the pool of willing buyers in the market. When you decide to sell an asset, you are essentially tapping into the bid liquidity. The more buyers there are at various price levels, the deeper the bid liquidity, and the easier it is to find a buyer at a desirable price.
Ask Liquidity. On the flip side is ask liquidity, the pool of willing sellers. When you wish to buy an asset, you interact with the ask liquidity. Deeper ask liquidity means you have a better chance of finding a seller at a favourable price.
The balance between bid and ask liquidity dictates the market’s overall health. If there is an equilibrium between the two, it signifies a healthy and efficient market. However, an imbalance, where one side significantly outweighs the other, can lead to price gaps and excessive volatility.
The Mechanics of Market Liquidity
Market liquidity is not a static concept; it constantly evolves. Understanding its mechanics can show how it works and how price interacts with it.
Order Book. At the heart of market liquidity lies the order book. This real-time ledger displays all pending buy and sell orders for a particular asset. The order book is often divided into two sections: the bid side and the ask side.
- On the bid side, you see a list of buy orders with corresponding prices and quantities.
- On the ask side, you find sell orders with prices and quantities.
The order book is used to gauge market sentiment and assess the depth of liquidity at different price levels. It helps make informed decisions about when and at what price to enter or exit a trade.
Market Participants. Liquidity results from the collective actions of various market participants. These participants include individual retail traders, institutional investors, market makers and high-frequency trading firms. Each group contributes to the overall liquidity landscape in its unique way.
- Retail traders often provide liquidity by placing market orders and buying or selling assets at prevailing prices.
- Institutional investors, with their large trades, can absorb liquidity by executing substantial orders that might not be immediately matched.
- Market makers play a crucial role by constantly quoting bid and ask prices, ensuring there is always some level of liquidity available in the market.
- High-frequency trading firms engage in algorithmic trading to profit from minor price discrepancies and, in the process, contribute to liquidity provision.
Volatility and Liquidity. Liquidity and price volatility share an intricate relationship. High liquidity tends to dampen price swings, while low liquidity can exacerbate them. When there is an influx of market orders or a sudden news event, liquidity can evaporate, leading to price gaps and rapid price changes.
How Price Hunts for Liquidity
Price discovery is the process by which asset prices find equilibrium in the market. It’s a continuous tug-of-war between buyers and sellers, and liquidity plays a pivotal role in this dance.
Tapping into the Order Book. When a trader or investor places an order in the market, they are essentially tapping into the existing order book. If they place a market order, they will be matched with the best available prices in the order book, instantly consuming liquidity.
Price Impact. Large orders have the potential to move the market. As buyers or sellers exhaust the available liquidity at a particular price level, they may need to transact at less favourable prices as they move further into the order book. This phenomenon is known as price impact.
Slippage. This occurs when a trade is executed at a price different from the expected price due to a lack of liquidity. It can happen during periods of high volatility or when dealing with illiquid assets.
Hunting for Hidden Liquidity. Traders employ various strategies to pursue hidden liquidity. For instance, they may use iceberg orders, which only display a portion of the total order size, keeping the rest hidden to avoid impacting the market too significantly.
Impact on Trading Strategies. Liquidity considerations influence trading strategies. For example, in highly liquid markets, traders might opt for high-frequency strategies that capitalise on small price movements. In contrast, they may adopt a more patient, long-term approach in illiquid markets.
Factors Affecting Market Liquidity
Market liquidity is not constant, it ebbs and flows in response to a myriad of factors. Here are some key determinants.
Market Hours. Liquidity often follows market hours. Assets traded in different time zones will experience varying levels of liquidity depending on the time of day. Liquidity tends to be highest during market hours when participants are most active.
Asset Type. Different types of assets exhibit varying levels of liquidity. For example, major currency pairs in the forex market are highly liquid, while thinly traded stocks may be illiquid.
Economic Events. Economic releases, earnings reports and geopolitical events can significantly impact liquidity. Traders often brace for increased volatility and potential liquidity shortages during such events.
Market Sentiment. Sentiment can sway liquidity. Bullish sentiment can lead to a rush of buyers, increasing liquidity on the bid side, while bearish sentiment can do the opposite.
Regulatory Changes. Regulatory changes can alter the market’s liquidity landscape. For instance, introducing new rules or regulations can impact the behaviour of market participants and, consequently, liquidity.
Think of it like the market needs to grab liquidity one way to go and move the opposite way. Once it has collected new orders and stop losses, it’s likely to accelerate the other way. It is this that causes the waves and these are broken down into motive and pullback waves.
This is an edited extract from Winning with Wall Street: A Trader’s Guide to Financial Freedom by Lewis Daniels (published by Wiley, October 2024).
Lewis Daniels is the Chairman of Mayfair Ventures, a cyber, AI, and fintech-focused venture capital fund. He’s also an independent trader with over 25 years’ experience in the markets. He offers trading education via his website, mayfair-method.com, which simplifies complex logic for thousands of students around the world.
