On March 16th, 2009, the NYSE began the implementation of its new SDBK database and has successfully deployed approximately 120 NYSE and NYSE Amex symbols to the new environment. The new database has dramatically improved performance and reduced system latencies to approximately a 5 millisecond turnaround for automatic executions. Considering the magnitude of change and the resulting latency reductions achieved only a few issues have surfaced.

As a clarification to the earlier Trader Update regarding 4 and 5 character symbol trading on the NYSE, the VALE.P symbol will appear as follows in the following NYSE inputs and outputs:

CCG: VALE P
CTS and CQS High Speed Lines: VALE/P
Slow Speed Ticker: VALE.P
Post Trade Output: VALEP

On December 2, 2008, the NYSE announced that in accord with the November 2008 SEC decision to have uniform symbology across exchanges, the NYSE would offer firms the ability to test four and five-character symbols at the NYSE (see the December 2, 2008 Trader Update). Effective Monday May 4, 2009, four symbols will trade on the NYSE as 4-character root symbols. Participants should ensure that their systems are prepared to handle these symbols.