US exchanges stopped sending orders to the Big Board yesterday shortly after the opening bell following a technical glitch, severely crimping the number of shares traded on the NYSE.

NYSE Euronext said in an alert to traders at 9:39 a.m. EST on Monday that its equity market was experiencing an issue with one of its engines that matches up buy and sell orders and that 216 issues were affected, including CVS Caremark, Lazard and United States Steel.