Broken up


Broken up

Used for listed equity securities. Prevented from executing a trade (committed to upstairs) due to exchange priority rules excluding one's order (e.g., higher bid/lower offer on floor, market order to satisfy).

Broken Up

1. Referring to a trade on a securities exchange that is not executed due to a priority bid. For example, even if an offer of $15 per share for a security is accepted, the trade may be broken up if another offer is made for $20 per share before the initial trade takes place.

2. Referring to a company that splits into several parties, as a result of antitrust action or to preserve a company's financial health. For example, a company may spin off an unprofitable division.