UBS leads the pack in NYSE and Nasdaq trading

In 2005 UBS established itself as the market leader in share volume across the major US exchanges, the NYSE and Nasdaq.

According to NYSE statistics, UBS was the leading share trader on the exchange for every quarter of last year. Other well-known volume indicators, including Nasdaq Trader and Autex, list UBS as the number-one share market maker in Nasdaq stocks. Additionally, Autex lists UBS as the leading trader in American Depository Receipts for 2005.

UBS has long been a major force in US institutional trading, but the acquisition of Schwab Capital Markets in October 2004 boosted its volumes via retail order flow from top US broker- dealers. With high volumes from diverse sources creating a vast natural liquidity pool, there are greater opportunities for ‘crossing’, which matches together natural buyers and sellers of a stock. Crossing reduces transaction costs and lowers the chances of a trade adversely affecting a stock’s price.