The Toronto Stock Exchange preopening session

This paper documents order submission strategies during the Toronto Stock Exchange preopening session. I find that the registered trader (RT) actively participates in the market opening, even though he cannot set the opening price directly, and has no apparent informational advantage. RT opening trades are profitable, moderate overnight price changes, and appear to be motivated, in part, by inventory adjustment concerns. I examine interlisted stocks that simultaneously open for trading under two different mechanisms and show how the comparative levels of pre-trade market transparency of each exchange impacts RT profits and participation. (C) 2002 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.