HFT – Algorithmic Trading Shows Clear Intraday Periodicity

Algorithmic trading is supposed to optimize investment strategies, taking out the subjective influence of a trader making minute by minute decisions, and high frequency trading (HFT) is known to be lightning fast. But people’s preference for round numbers has a startling effect on trade volumes, clumping activity at regular intervals without a rational explanation. “Recurring periodicity of crowded trading activity increases as the ‘roundness’ of time marks increases. One hour marks are the most attractive for clustered activity, followed by half-hour marks and then by 10-minute and finally, 5 minute marks. This preference of increasing roundness points to the human…