Program Trading Curbs
Whenever CNBC runs a banner on your television screen that says CURBS IN or CURBS IN, we receive a ton of email from investors asking "What are curbs?" Here is the answer for you:
Program Trading "Circuit Breakers"
If the Dow Jones Industrial Average falls 10%, trading is halted on the New York Stock Exchange for 60 minutes. If the Dow Jones rallies 10%, there is no restriction. Why? Because program buying and the accompany rally is always perceived as "good".
If the Dow Jones Industrial Average falls 20%, trading is halted on the New York Stock Exchange for two hours. There is no trading halt if it rallies 20%, as that would be perceived as "very very good".
If the Dow Jones Industrial Average falls 30%, trading is halted on the New York Stock Exchange for the day. There is no trading halt if it rallies 30%, as that would be perceived as "the best thing that ever happened in the history of the world".
According to the NYSE the current 10, 20 and 30 percent decline levels, respectively, in the DJIA will be as follows: A 1,350 point drop in the DJIA will halt trading for one hour if the decline occurs before 2 p.m.; for 30 minutes if before 2:30 p.m.; and have no effect between 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. A 2,700 point drop will halt trading for two hours if the decline occurs before 1 p.m.; for one hour if before 2 p.m.; and for the remainder of the day if between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. A 4,000 point drop will halt trading for the remainder of the day regardless of when the decline occurs. Point levels are set quarterly by using the DJIA average closing values of the previous month, rounded to the nearest 50 points. The percentage levels are adjusted quarterly.
Program Trading "Collars"
In the past, this was another type of NYSE Trading Curb. It was eliminated on Friday, October 26, 2007.
Program Trading "Sidecars"
In the past, this was another type of NYSE Trading Curb. It was eliminated on Tuesday, February 16, 1999.
If you are trading based on the program trading curb levels given above, or using any other indicator mentioned on our site, please click here.
