Cross

As serendipity would have it, once in a while a stockbroker receives a buy and sell order for the same stock at the same price, so they make the trade between two separate customers, rather than sending it out to the universe. However, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) frowns upon this practice, as it risks not being beneficial to both parties.

A cross trade cannot incur any commissions, spreads, or other costs, aside from transfer fees. Every quarter, directors of mutual funds need to approve cross trades that took place during the previous quarter, as it must be shown that the trades were for the good of both the buyer and seller. The downside for the seller is that she may have been able to get a better price in the marketplace, so the trade needs to demonstrate the seller benefited by not having to pay commissions.