For you traders out there, we just announced the circuit-breaker levels for the third quarter of 2009, effective tomorrow, 1 July.

From the press release:

… Circuit-breaker points represent the thresholds at which trading is halted marketwide for single-day declines in the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA). Circuit-breaker levels are set quarterly as 10, 20 and 30-percent of the DJIA average closing values of the previous month, rounded to the nearest 50 points.

In third-quarter 2009, the 10, 20 and 30-percent decline levels, respectively, in the DJIA will be as follows:

Level 1 Halt
A 850-point drop in the DJIA before 2 p.m. will halt trading for one hour; for 30 minutes if between 2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.; and have no effect if at 2:30 p.m. or later unless there is a level 2 halt.

Level 2 Halt
A 1,700-point drop in the DJIA before 1:00 p.m. will halt trading for two hours; for one hour if between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.; and for the remainder of the day if at 2:00 p.m. or later.

Level 3 Halt
A 2,600-point drop will halt trading for the remainder of the day regardless of when the decline occurs.

Background:
Circuit-breakers are calculated quarterly. The percentage levels were first implemented in April 1998 and are adjusted on the first trading day of each quarter. In 2009, those dates are Jan. 2, April 1, July 1 and Oct. 1.

As I always say, may we never need to consult these procedures, but there they are, just in case. Also for future (hope not) reference, a handy graphic of the breakers can be found at this link.

And now for the trivia:

Today in NYSE History (NYX.com)
30 June 1952 — The first NYSE-sponsored shareownership survey revealed that 6.5 million Americans own common stock.