Moneyzine
Contents
/Investment Guides /Trading Pit

Trading Pit

Moneyzine Editor
Author: 
Moneyzine Editor
1 mins
September 21st, 2023
Advertiser Disclosure

Definition

The term trading pit refers to a section of a trading floor that is dedicated to the buying and selling of financial instruments through open outcry. Transactions that are not completed through the trading pit are executed electronically.

Explanation

Prior to the 1980s, buy and sell orders on the stock and futures exchanges were executed using the open outcry method on the trading pit. Open outcry is a combination of shouting and hand signals traders and stock brokers would use to exchange buy and sell order information. Traders associated with a brokerage house could be identified by the color of the jacket they wore on the floor. Clerks were responsible for taking orders from customers, while runners were tasked with relaying the orders to traders.

During the decades of the 1980s and 1990s, the trading pit was slowly replaced by electronic exchanges and by the turn of the 21st century, few exchanges still maintained a trading floor since electronic exchanges were more efficient and economical. While the majority of trades are executed electronically today, there are still a small number of high price per share common stocks that are traded on the floor where it may be possible to obtain a more favorable price for the investor.

Related Terms

underlying asset, transaction cost, tick size, adjusted futures price

Explore Investing Further

Related Content

  • Biden Or Trump: Who Is Better For The Economy And Stocks?
    Yup. This is one of those articles. It's an election year, and here in the U.S., we get to decide which old dude who’s been alive long enough to remember when there were only 48 states in the U.S. will be the leader of the free world.
    March 19th, 2024
  • When it comes to strategic business planning, accounting is front and center, shaping the course of action. At least it should be.
    March 14th, 2024
  • DRIP Brokers: Best Brokers for Dividend Investing for April 2024
    Reinvesting dividends could mean compound growth for your portfolio. But reinvesting them manually can be a hassle. This is why you could benefit from a dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP).
    March 12th, 2024
  • How To Invest in Real Estate Without Becoming a Landlord
    We all know that in order to build wealth and prepare for retirement, investing is the key. However, it can be hard to figure out what to invest in and how to put your money to good use. One of the most talked about ways to build wealth is owning property and being a landlord to bring in passive income. But what if you don’t want to do that? You can still invest in real estate!
    March 6th, 2024
  • Investing In Nature: The Closest You'll Get To Your Money Growing On Trees
    ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) has become a polluted word for many traders and investors - but that doesn't mean it's going completely away. Nor does that mean you can't profit from nature or sustainable practices. But there are some opportunities in the regenerative ag, conservation, and green real estate spaces.
    February 29th, 2024

Contributors

Moneyzine 2024. All Rights Reserved.