The use of HFT also raises concerns about market stability. The 2010 "flash crash" in the US stock market, in which the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted by over 9% in a matter of minutes, is often cited as an example of the potential risks of HFT.
Margin Call, released in 2011, tells the story of a group of investment bankers who discover that their firm is on the brink of collapse due to its exposure to toxic assets. The film's narrative is driven by the characters' desperate attempts to sell off the assets and avoid a catastrophic failure. One of the key characters, Peter Conrad, played by Zac Efron, is a young trader who is tasked with selling off the assets. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Conrad's actions are driven by a flawed understanding of risk and a misplaced sense of confidence.
The films Margin Call and Torrent both touch on the theme of systemic risk, which refers to the potential for a collapse of the entire financial system. One of the key contributors to systemic risk is high-frequency trading. HFT can create an environment in which market participants are incentivized to take on excessive risk, as the rapid execution of trades can make it difficult to assess the true value of assets.
