Tick Size Reduction and the Components of the Bid-Ask Spread on the Taiwan Stock Exchange

Abstract

We examined the effect of reduced tick size on spread and its various components on Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE). The TWSE stands for a representative order-driving call mechanism in the emerging market. The noticeable market features of the TWSE render our findings on the effect of tick-size changes useful in combination with those reported in studies on developed markets. Our evidence strongly indicated that the traded spread and the order-processing component declined after tick size was reduced, whereas the asymmetric information component exhibited less significant changes. We documented a relatively high proportion of the order-processing component of the TWSE compared with that observed in developed markets after tick size was reduced. The cross-sectional regression analysis results indicated that stocks with high binding constraints, a high price, and high trading activity generated substantial savings on the order-processing component after tick-size conversion. Our empirical results highlight the important contributions of reduced tick size on market efficiency specifically in an emerging call market setting.