The Securities and Exchange Commission has voted to extend the so-called trade-through rule for best price execution to electronic markets, signalling a major shake up in the way stock and shares are traded in the US.
In an open meeting, the SEC by a vote of 3-2 approved the Regulation National Market System, which guarantees investors the best price when trading stocks. The ruling will require traders to access all markets in search of the best quote on a stock.
Reg NMS has been criticised for protecting the status of the New York Stock Exchange and its floor-based market-makers, who often quote the best price but fail to maintain it once the order reaches the floor. Electronic trading venues wanted to see the ruling abolished altogether.
By extending the regulations to cover all markets, and setting a one-year deadline for its introduction, the SEC has effectively given the Nyse breathing space to adapt its business model to a hybrid of electronic and open-outcry trading.