NYSE shutdown raises new questions about US exchanges' technical vulnerabilities

Washington

THE New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) ground to a halt for nearly four hours on Wednesday due to what officials said was a technical glitch, spooking investors and raising new worries about the soundness of the world's complex financial markets.

America's oldest exchange went dark from 11.32am to 3.10pm (11.32pm on Wednesday to 3.10am on Thursday, Singapore time), its longest computer-related closure to date, freezing orders and redirecting trades through a sprawling network of other exchanges.