Used for listed equity
securities. (1) Term used in a securities
transaction involving three
brokers, as follows: Broker A, a
floor broker,
executes a
buy order for broker B (a
member firm broker who has too much business at the time to
execute the order). The broker with whom broker A completes the transaction (the
sell-side broker) is broker C. Broker A "gives up" the name of broker B, so that the record shows a transaction between broker B and broker C even though the
trade is actually executed between broker A and broker C; (2)
distribution of
commissions to brokerage houses not participating in a trade. This is a grey area of the law governing reimbursement of a broker for services (e.g., research). See: Directed brokerage.