Stock Market Crashes and the Performance of Circuit Breakers: Empirical Evidence

This study examines the behavior of a small stock market with circuit breakers and with a one-hour preauction order imbalance disclosure during the October 1987 crash. The crash and its aftershocks lasted for a week and selling pressure was concentrated in higher beta, larger capitalization, and lower leverage firm stocks. Circuit breakers when implemented reduced the next-day opening order imbalance and the initial price loss; however, they had no effect on the long-run response. Some price overreaction and reversal phenomena also are documented. Copyright 1993 by American Finance Association.