NYX Nyse Euronext

Program trading volume slid slightly last week on the NYSE Euronext's (NYX) New York Stock Exchange, but the proportion of program trades compared with total volume grew due to a steeper decline in overall trading.

The daily program-trading volume average was 976.8 million shares, or 29.5% of the average total of 3.31 billion shares. The NYSE's volume averaged 981.1 million shares, or 26.7% of the average total of 3.67 billion shares the previous week.

The most active NYSE member firm for program trading last week was Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS). It was followed by Morgan Stanley (MS), Barclays PLC (BCS, BARC.LN) and Wedbush Morgan Securities Inc.

Program trading encompasses a wide range of portfolio-trading strategies involving the purchase or sale of a basket of at least 15 stocks.

-By John Kell, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2480; john.kell@dowjones.com