An investigative study into the application of automated trading systems in Bulgaria

Automated trading systems have been present in the world of finance for a number of years and as a result, these systems have been the subject of academic research. The topics of these studies include, but are not limited to, the ability of these trading robots to generate positive financial results over the long-term as well as their ability to accommodate changes in the market environment. However, the existing studies have not focused upon the disruptive nature of these systems and on their optimal operating conditions within different trading environments. Therefore, integrating the automated systems within a particular trading environment has not been investigated to any depth previously.

Automated trading systems are capable of working effectively in clearly defined areas of financial trading and their applicability for implementation across the full spectrum of the financial sector is not possible due to the complexities of trading. As a result, the identification of where it is possible to employ automated systems is critical to financial traders as the incorrect application could lead to ineffective trading. Therefore, following on from the work around assessing the impact of automated systems integration, this study will focus on a detailed primary research program that surveys 300 traders within the industry complemented by comprehensive secondary research. The detailed analysis of the gathered primary and secondary data will allow the author to develop a conceptual model which enables individual and institutional traders to identify the best operating conditions for using automated trading systems within a particular trading environment. The model will consider a wide range of variables including: technological factors, market conditions, cultural plus ethical characteristics, and experiential considerations.

The focus of the study will be Bulgaria as this provides a unique setting in that the use of such systems is in its infancy and whilst trading in Bulgaria has developed at a tremendous pace over the last several years, trading robots are now becoming the interest of market participants in the country. Still, there is insufficient information about the application of automated trading systems in countries where these systems are at an early stage of implementation, such as Bulgaria, including their ability to generate profits and ultimately to substitute, or at least lower the use of, traditional trading.