Dealer Networks

Dealers in the over-the-counter municipal bond market form trading networks with other dealers to mitigate search frictions. Regulatory data show that this network has a core-periphery structure with 10 to 30 hubs and over 2,000 peripheral broker-dealers in which bonds flow from periphery to core and partially back. Central dealers charge investors up to double the round-trip markups compared to peripheral dealers. In turn, central dealers provide immediacy by matching buyers with sellers more directly and prearranging fewer trades, especially during stress times. Investors thus face a trade-off between execution cost and speed, consistent with network models of decentralized trade.