Search:
   

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Equity Trader Alert #2007 - 8
NASDAQ Announces Testing Opportunities and Provides Updates for Changes to the Stock Symbol System Plan

Please Route To: Head Traders; Technical Contacts; Compliance Officers; Vendor Technical Contacts

What you need to know:

  • As announced in Head Trader Alert #2006-193, NASDAQ plans to have the capability to accept and distribute 1-, 2- and 3-character symbols for NASDAQ-listed and other exchange-listed securities, in addition to the 4-character symbols NASDAQ currently uses.
  • NASDAQ has scheduled a User Acceptance Test (UAT) for 1-, 2- and 3-character NASDAQ-listed test stocks on Saturday, January 27, 2007, from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m., Eastern Time (ET).
  • NASDAQ strongly recommends that all impacted customers participate in this testing.

Whom you should contact: NASDAQ Symbology Team

What changes are being made to the stock symbol system plan?
As announced in Head Trader Alert #2006-193, NASDAQ® plans to have the capability to accept and distribute 1-, 2- and 3-character symbols for NASDAQ-listed and other exchange-listed securities, in addition to the 4-character symbols NASDAQ currently uses.

What is the implementation and testing schedule for the stock symbol system changes?
To ensure a smooth transition, NASDAQ plans to implement the stock symbol system changes in phases:

  • January 27, 2007: Saturday UAT for 1-, 2- and 3-character NASDAQ-listed test issues
  • February 1-16, 2007: 1-, 2- and 3-character NASDAQ-listed test issues in production in the after-hours trading session.
  • February 20, 2007: 1-, 2- and 3-character NASDAQ-listed test issues in production in the regular-hours trading session.
  • Currently scheduled for weekend of June 2, 2007: NASDAQ-listed issues with a fifth-character will be converted to the ComStock suffix symbology. Please refer to the Mapping of NASDAQ to ComStock Modifiers document posted on the NASDAQ Trader® website.

Additional details on testing and implementation will be communicated as they become available.

What are the details of the UAT?
NASDAQ has scheduled a UAT for 1-, 2- and 3-character NASDAQ-listed test stocks on Saturday, January 27, 2007, from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m., ET. To participate in the UAT, please register by 12:00 p.m., ET, tomorrow, Friday, January 26th, in one of the following ways:

  1. Email your name and phone number to OpsQa@nasdaq.com.
  2. Call the NASDAQ Testing Facility (NTF) at 212.231.5180.

Will there be an open conference call during the UAT?
Yes. Since the systems integration UAT will be taking place at the same time, the same conference call will be utilized for both UATs. The call details are:

Saturday, January 27; 9:00 a.m., ET
Leader: Todd Golub
Dial in: 800.619.8639
Pass code: Saturday Test

In addition, firms may call the following for assistance, as needed:

  • NASDAQ Market Operations at 212.231.5100
  • NASDAQ Technical Support at 212.231.5180

What will be available for testing?
Test Stocks (NASDAQ-listed):

  • Z
  • ZX
  • ZZX
Connectivity Protocols:
  • NASDAQ Workstation®
  • NASDAQ FIX
  • CTCI
  • QIX
  • OUCH
  • INET FIX
  • RASHport
  • Brut FIX
  • Drop copies
Data Feeds:
  • SIP Feeds (UTDFSM and UQDFSM)
  • TotalView®
  • TotalView-AggregatedSM
  • All TotalView-ITCH feeds (3.0, 2.0a, 2.0 and 1.0)
  • NQDSSM
  • NOISSM
  • NOIViewSM

What is the testing schedule?

Time (ET) Market Event
9:00 a.m. System Open
9:30 a.m. Opening Cross* — Market Open
11:00 a.m. Closing Cross* — Market Close
11:30 a.m. System Close

*Please note that only NASDAQ-listed securities are eligible to participate in the NASDAQ Opening and Closing CrossesSM.

Where can I get additional information?


Email Alert Subscriptions:
Nasdaq offers customers the ability to self select news delivery across various Nasdaq markets. Create and maintain a profile for updating alert preferences and contact information. Visit the enrollment form on the Nasdaq Trader website and sign up today! Please note that if you choose to unsubscribe from an email list, you may no longer receive potentially critical emails from the NASDAQ Stock Market regarding Nasdaq's trading and data products, regulatory issues or marketplace initiatives. To unsubscribe, also click on the enrollment form

Please follow Nasdaq on Facebook RSS and Twitter.

Nasdaq (Nasdaq: NDAQ) is a leading global provider of trading, clearing, exchange technology, listing, information and public company services. Through its diverse portfolio of solutions, Nasdaq enables customers to plan, optimize and execute their business vision with confidence, using proven technologies that provide transparency and insight for navigating today's global capital markets. As the creator of the world's first electronic stock market, its technology powers more than 90 marketplaces in 50 countries, and 1 in 10 of the world's securities transactions. Nasdaq is home to approximately 3,900 total listings with a market value of approximately $13 trillion. To learn more, visit: business.nasdaq.com.

View NASDAQTrader.com Mobile