Jimmyoo:
>>As I said I would I spoke to a top level NASDQ exe. today about trades and transactions,after cornering him on a few things I came away that He was very defensive about volume.He spoke to me as if I was some sort of NYSE exe.>>
Jimmy, the NASD should be running scared on "volume" for exchanges and the NASD get "tape revenue" from trades - based on the fees you and all of us pay directly and indirectly to get real-time quotes.
Since the NASDAQ has a long history of printing more shares than actually change hands - not quite double printing, but in some cases this is true - they have been collecting more tape revenue that what one would consider, perhaps, fair. It all has to do with the lack of a central limit order book. Sure the MMs have used Instinet as their own private/anonymous limit order book for years - but this exclusivity broke down with the display rule last year - beginning in February.
Case in point: the NASD merging with the AMEX. The true reality of this extra printing will have to come to light before this merger takes place. If I were the SEC I'd be looking into this real hard right now. Hundreds of millions of dollars in "extra" tape revenues have been flowing to NASD for years - but now the SEC is chargin NASD market makers - for the first time since last year - the same SEC fee they've charged exchange-based specialists. This has resulted in a $350 mm windfall for the SEC, so I don't know how eager they may be to reform this NASD "trade surplus".
The good thing in all this is that Arthur Levitt has done an extraordinary job cleaning up the NASDAQ, but still a lot more needs to be done. For example; 1) Trade throughs - you don't have protection on trade throughs today; and 2) Limit order protection - all MMs have to do today is simply display your limit order. They have no requirement to enforce participation again competing prints. The other thing to keep in mind with the NASD is that they all print with a "T" to the National Market System tape.
The only NASD-based trading that takes place on a differentiated tape print is the Chicago Stock Exchange's NASD UTP - Unlisted Trading Privledge - program. If more people would recognize Chicago's sleeping asset, they could demand to at least get the ball rolling by requiring limit trades posted elsewhere on the NASD to participate with prints taking place in Chicago. The NASD is very concerned about the Chicago Exchange - for it represents the only potential venue for limit order protection. Look for other ECN - Electronic Communication Networks - such as Instinet, Island and others to enter the listed market as Class II non-exchanges.
I know I may have really confused you. Sorry. |
