The data indicated that during Aug. 20-24, program trading amounted to 33.1 percent of NYSE average daily volume of 2,864.3 million shares1, or 949.2 million program shares traded per day.

Program trading encompasses a wide range of portfolio-trading strategies involving the purchase or sale of a basket of at least 15 stocks with a total value of $1 million or more.

For the third quarter of 2007, the NYSE’s program-trading report includes profiles of program trading whenever the New York Stock Exchange Composite Index (NYA) moves 190 points or more in a single direction during any one-hour period. During Aug. 20-24, there were no such periods.

In all markets, program trading by member firms averaged 2,103.1 million shares a day during Aug. 20-24. About 45.1 percent of program trading took place on the NYSE, 1.1 percent in non-U.S. markets and 53.8 percent in other domestic markets, including Nasdaq, the American Stock Exchange and regional markets. -NYSE