All trading on the New York Stock Exchange is halted Wednesday for unknown technical reasons – heaping yet another worry onto investors already rattled by global economic concerns.
Internal technical issues are being blamed for NYSE trading to shut down at 11:32 a.m. ET. The shutdown is also affecting the NYSE MKT exchange, a market for small companies.
Such outages are extremely rare in U.S. markets – but the halt brings up memories of the August 2013 “Flash Freeze” when trading on the Nasdaq was halted for hours. The NYSE is saying the problem is due to a problem with NYSE systems – not any sort of external attack.
Traders on the NYSE floor were standing around looking at blank trading terminals where no bid or offers were being exchanged. Trading in NYSE-listed stocks was still occurring on other exchanges, including the Nasdaq.
In a statement, the NYSE says: “We’re currently experiencing a technical issue that we’re working to resolve as quickly as possible. We will be providing further updates as soon as we can, and are doing our utmost to produce a swift resolution, communicate thoroughly and transparently, and ensure a timely and orderly market re-open.”
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not have an official statement about the computer outages. However, the agency said there was no immediate indication of a coordinated cyberattack. Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Mary Jo White, says in a statement, “We are in contact with NYSE and are closely monitoring the situation and trading in NYSE-listed stocks. While NYSE is working to resolve the situation, NYSE and NYSE MKT stocks continue to trade normally through other trading venues.”
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/07/08/nyse-mysteriously-halts-all-trading/29861963/
