Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-fscjk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T07:53:11.819Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

A Strategic Analysis of Corners and Squeezes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 June 2010

David J. Cooper
Affiliation:
Department of Economics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
R. Glen Donaldson
Affiliation:
Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration, 2053 Main Mall, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C. Canada, V6T 1Z2.

Abstract

We develop a dynamic game-theoretic model of a futures market in which prices can be manipulated by corner and squeeze. We investigate equilibrium trading strategies and the price dynamics these strategies produce. Price paths produced by our model can mimic observed prices for potentially comerable commodities and explain the volatility of certain prices even when no manipulations occur. Our model also generates occasional apparent price bubbles and accounts for the existence of normal backwardation in futures markets even when players are risk neutral.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © School of Business Administration, University of Washington 1998

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Anderson, R. A., and Gilbert, C. L.. “Commodity Agreements and Commodity Markets Lessons from Tin.” Economic Journal, 98 (March 1988), 115.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Anderson, R. W. “The Industrial Organization of Futures Market: A Survey.” In The Industrial Organization of Futures Markets, Anderson, R. W., ed. MA: Lexington Books (1984), 133.Google Scholar
Anderson, R. W. “Cornering the Market” In The New Pelgrave Dictionary of Money and Finance, Vol. 1, Newman, T., ed. London: Macmillan (1992), 461462.Google Scholar
Cho, I. K., and Kreps, D. M.. “Signalling Games and Stable Equilibria.Quarterly Journal of Economics, 102 (1987), 179221.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cooper, D. J., and Donaldson, R. G. “Technical Appendix to A Strategic Analysis of Corners and Squeezes.” Univ. of British Columbia and Univ. of Pittsburgh Mimeo (1997).Google Scholar
Donaldson, R. G.Financing Banking Crises. Lessons from the Panic of 1907.” Journal of Monetary Economics, 31 (Jan. 1993), 6995.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dunn, K., and Spaa, C.. “A Strategic Analysis of Sinking Fund Bonds.” Journal of Financial Economics, 13 (Dec. 1984), 399423.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Edwards, F., and Edwards, N.. “A Legal and Economic Analysis of Manipulation in Futures Mar kets.Journal of Futures Markets, 4 (1984), 333366.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fort, R., and Quirk, J.. “Normal Backwardation and the Inventory Effect.” Journal of Political Economy, 96 (Feb. 1988), 8199.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fudenbcrg, D., and Tirole, J.. “Perfect Bayesian and Sequential EquilibriaMIT Mimeo (1988).Google Scholar
Fudenbcrg, D., and Tirole, J.. Game Theory MIT Press (1992).Google Scholar
Gemmili, G. “Regulating Futures Market.” In Futures Markets: Modelling, Managing and Moni toring Futures Trading, Manfred, P., ed. Oxford: Blackwcll (1983), 295318.Google Scholar
Gray, R. W., and Peck, A. E.. “The Chicago Wheat Futures Market: Recent Problems in Historical Perspective.Food Research Institute Studies, 18 (1981), 89115.Google Scholar
Grossman, S., and Stiglitz, J.. “On the Impossibility of Informationally Efficient Markets.American Economic Review, 70 (1980), 393408.Google Scholar
Jarrow, R.Market Manipulation, Bubbles, Corners and Short Squeezes.” Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, 27 (Sept. 1992), 311336.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kilcollin, T. “Comment (on ‘A Theory of Futures Market Manipulations’).” In The Industrial Organization of Futures Markets, Anderson, R. W., ed. MA: Lexington Books (1984), 189191.Google Scholar
Kreps, D., and Scheinkman, J.. “Quantity Precommitment and Bertrand Competition Yield Coumot Outcomes.” Bell Journal of Economics, 14 (March 1983), 326337.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kumar, P., and Seppi, D.. “Futures Market Manipulation with Cash Settlement.” Journal of Finance. 47 (Sept. 1992), 14851502.Google Scholar
Kyle, A. S. “A Theory of Futures Market Manipulations.” In The Industrial Organization of Futures Markets, Anderson, R. W., ed. MA: Lexington Books (1984), 141174.Google Scholar
Lieb, B. “The Aftermath of Hunt: A New Look at Speculation, Manipulation, and the Regulation of the Futures Industry.” Unpubl. Manuscript, Princeton Univ. (1983).Google Scholar
Palfrey, T. R., and Rosenthal, H.. “Participation and Provision of Discrete Public Goods: A Strategic Analysis.Journal of Public Economics, 24 (1984), 171193.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Salant, S. “Comment (on ‘A Theory of Futures Market Manipulations’).” In The Industrial Orga nization of Futures Markets, Anderson, R. W., ed. MA: Lexington Books (1984), 175188.Google Scholar
Selten, R.Reexamination of the Perfectness Concept for Equilibrium Points in Extensive Games.International Journal of Game Theory, 4 (1975), 2555.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shapiro, C. “Theories of Oligopoly Behavior.” In The Handbook of Industrial Organization. Amsterdam: North Holland (1989). 344.Google Scholar
Tesler, L.Margins and Futures Contracts.” Journal of Futures Markets, 1 (March 1981), 225253.Google Scholar
Vila, J. L.The Role of Information in Futures Market Manipulation.” MIT Mimeo (1988)Google Scholar
Vila, J. L.Simple Games of Market Manipulation.Economic Letters, 29 (1989), 2126.CrossRefGoogle Scholar