Correlation emergence and the Epps effect in two coupled limit order books

Abstract

We give a unified analytic account of correlation emergence and the Epps effect in two coupled limit order books. The model starts from a discrete random-walk description of order flow with creation, cancellation and diffusion. A pair-trader coupling between the books is introduced at the level of order creation. We clarify how the discrete model reduces to coupled reaction--diffusion equations with a moving reaction boundary defining the transaction price. Using a regularised local-response representation of the coupling, we derive approximate closed-form expressions for realised correlations as a function of aggregation time. Here the Epps effect is shown to arise from three distinct mechanisms: asynchronous event clocks (subordination), finite coupling response times, and their combination.