hard · Market Microstructure hft

A Securities Information Processor (SIP) consolidates quotes from all 16 U.S. equity exchanges with an average latency of 950 microseconds. An HFT firm receives direct feeds from each exchange with a latency of 50 microseconds. Exchange A posts a new best offer of 100.05 (improving the prior NBBO offer of 100.10).

Approximately how long does the SIP-informed slower router remain exposed to the stale quote, and what trade does the HFT execute to capture the latency arbitrage?

  1. About 900 microseconds of exposure; the HFT lifts the stale 100.10 offer wherever a slower exchange still shows it, then posts a fresh sell limit at 100.05 on Exchange A to rebuild inventory.
  2. 900 microseconds; the HFT buys at 100.05 on Exchange A via its direct feed and sells at the stale 100.10 offer on another exchange whose SIP-reported NBBO has not yet updated.
  3. The full 950-microsecond SIP latency; the HFT sells at the new 100.10 quote on Exchange A and simultaneously buys at 100.05 on a slower, still-stale exchange feed.
  4. Only 50 microseconds; the HFT profits purely from its own direct-feed speed advantage, not from any SIP consolidation lag or stale-quote exposure window.

Sign up free to see the explanation and track your rank →

More Market Microstructure hft practice

KomFi: Test Prep Made Easy

KomFi: Test Prep Made Easy — free adaptive practice for GMAT, GRE, SAT, ACT, National Real Estate Exam, Investment Banking, and finance with full explanations.

KomFi Academy is free GMAT prep and personalized GMAT help built as a training platform: 92,240+ practice questions, 30,500+ flashcards, on-demand video lectures, podcasts, and 4K slide decks. Flagship tracks: Free GMAT Prep, Free GMAT Resources, National Real Estate Exam Prep, Investment Banking Prep, Finance Prep, GRE, SAT, ACT, LSAT, MCAT, Financial Accounting, Private Equity, Private Credit, and Quantitative Finance.

Free GMAT Prep & Personalized GMAT Help

What's inside

Topics

View pricing · Read testimonials