Informed Trading
Informed trading is the practice of trading based on private or superior information that is not yet fully reflected in the market price. Informed traders are usually more sophisticated, such as institutional investors or those with access to better data or analytical models.
Their trades tend to move the market toward the "true" price more quickly. While informed trading is a natural part of price discovery, it creates risks for uninformed participants who may be trading against them.
In the context of market microstructure, detecting informed trading is crucial for market makers who want to avoid adverse selection. It is the opposite of noise trading, which is driven by emotion or non-fundamental factors.
Understanding the balance between informed and uninformed flow is key to predicting market behavior.