Impact of using derivatives on stock market liquidity

Abstract

This study demonstrates that using derivatives can significantly improve stock liquidity. We conduct several tests to check for robustness of our findings and control for potential endogeneity in our results. We observe that the decrease in stock illiquidity due to derivative usage is more pronounced for firms with high information asymmetry, high firm-specific risk, and negative investor sentiment. Ownership stakes held by foreign institutional investors and domestic promoters do not influence how derivative usage affects stock liquidity. This relationship is significant in the presence of large and independent boards. Our results emphasize the liquidity creation role of derivative usage, which complements other functions of derivatives markets, such as price discovery and risk management. Our findings are relevant for companies operating in foreign capital markets and for international investors who include Indian stocks into their portfolios.