Hedge Funds as Liquidity Providers: Evidence from the Lehman Bankruptcy

40 Pages Posted: 27 Aug 2009

See all articles by George O. Aragon

George O. Aragon

Arizona State University (ASU) - Finance Department

Philip E. Strahan

Boston College - Department of Finance; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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Date Written: August 26, 2009

Abstract

Using the September 15, 2008 bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers as an exogenous shock to funding costs, we show that hedge funds act as liquidity providers. Hedge funds using Lehman as prime broker could not trade after the bankruptcy, and these funds failed twice as often as otherwise-similar funds after September 15 (but not before). Stocks traded by the Lehman-connected hedge funds in turn experienced greater declines in market liquidity following the bankruptcy than other stocks; and, the effect was larger for ex ante illiquid stocks. We conclude that shocks to traders’ funding liquidity reduce the market liquidity of the assets that they trade.

Suggested Citation

Aragon, George O. and Strahan, Philip E., Hedge Funds as Liquidity Providers: Evidence from the Lehman Bankruptcy (August 26, 2009). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1462315 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1462315

George O. Aragon

Arizona State University (ASU) - Finance Department ( email )

W. P. Carey School of Business
PO Box 873906
Tempe, AZ 85287-3906
United States

Philip E. Strahan (Contact Author)

Boston College - Department of Finance ( email )

Carroll School of Management
140 Commonwealth Avenue
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467-3808
United States
617-552-6430 (Phone)
617-552-0431 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www2.bc.edu/~strahan

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

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