Series 24: Designated Market Makers (DMMs)

Designated Market Makers (DMMs)

The most important participant on the exchange floor is the Designated Market Maker (DMM), formerly called the specialist. An exchange like the NYSE assigns each traded security to a DMM. The DMM resides at a trading post, and all trades in a security will take place at the trading post where the security’s DMM is located. The DMM acts as auctioneer, controlling the auction process and matching buy orders with sell orders.

Quote information disseminated on the exchange consists of the highest bid and lowest offer price per stock and the quotation’s size limit. An order becomes a quote when the DMM or floor broker communicates the order to the crowd. As auctioneer, the DMM must promptl