What is ‘Odd Lot Theory’
A technical analysis theory/indicator that is founded on the notion that the tiny individual investor is always incorrect in their investments. Consequently, if odd lot sales are increasing, indicating that tiny investors are selling their shares, it is likely that now is a good moment to invest.
Explaining ‘Odd Lot Theory’
This technique is predicated on the assumption that small investors have a limited risk tolerance and do not intend to keep a stock for an extended period of time.
Odd Lot Theory FAQ
Are odd lot purchases bullish?
It is a stock transaction in which there are less than 100 shares of stock involved. An increase in the number of Odd Lot Purchases, which is a contrarian indication, is typically regarded bearish, whereas an increase in the number of Odd Lot Sales is generally considered optimistic. The goal is to behave in the opposite direction of the little, inexperienced odd lot traders.
What does odd lot offer mean?
An odd-lot buyback happens when a corporation offers to buy back shares of its stock from investors who own less than 100 shares of the firm's stock. There are a variety of methods in which investors might end up owning odd-lot shares, the most common of which is via dividend reinvestment schemes or a reverse split.
Who handles odd lot transactions?
Odd lot transactions on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) are handled by authorized 'Odd Lot' dealers, who also happen to be the Specialists (Designated Market Makers) in the equities that are being traded on the exchange. Stock halting is a courtesy feature that may only be used for public orders; stock halting cannot be used for a member's personal account.
Further Reading
- Odd-lot transactions around the turn of the year and the January effect – www.jstor.org [PDF]
- What’s not there: The odd-lot bias in TAQ data – papers.ssrn.com [PDF]
- Odd-Lot Trading in the Stock Market and Its Market Impact – www.jstor.org [PDF]
- Technology and learning: Automating odd-lot trading at the New York Stock Exchange, 1958–1976 – www.jstor.org [PDF]
- Do measures of investor sentiment predict returns? – www.jstor.org [PDF]
- A theory of price variability and trading volume: The case of odd-lot trading. – elibrary.ru [PDF]
- Investor sentiment and stock returns: Evidence from Turkey – www.tandfonline.com [PDF]
- Odd-lot trading in US equities – www.sciencedirect.com [PDF]
- Economic experiments and the construction of markets – books.google.com [PDF]