Search Frictions in Over‐the‐Counter Foreign Exchange Markets: Theory and Evidence

B-Tier
Journal: International Economic Review
Year: 2025
Volume: 66
Issue: 4
Pages: 1619-1644

Authors (3)

Dong Lu (not in RePEc) Daniela Puzzello (Indiana University) Aiyong Zhu (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

0.670 = (α=2.01 / 3 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

This paper integrates theory and transaction‐level data from China's interbank over‐the‐counter (OTC) FX market to examine how search frictions affect prices, asset distributions, and welfare. We document that: (1) larger banks face lower transaction costs, decreasing with trade size; (2) easing search frictions increases dispersion in asset holdings; and (3) search frictions distort counterparty selection. These patterns follow naturally from an OTC model with heterogeneous investor search abilities and dealer fixed costs. We calibrate the model to quantify heterogeneous effects of search frictions across investors and perform counterfactual analysis to assess the impact of policies designed to decrease search frictions.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:wly:iecrev:v:66:y:2025:i:4:p:1619-1644
Journal Field
General
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-29