Finance

New York Stock Exchange To Close Floor, Shift To Electronic Trading

​The NYSE's president said two people tested positive for the coronavirus but that the building has been cleaned since they were last inside.

New York Stock Exchange To Close Floor, Shift To Electronic Trading
Mark Lennihan / AP
SMS

The New York Stock Exchange will temporarily close its trading floor in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The exchange's operator announced in a press release Wednesday it will close trading floors and move fully to electronic trading beginning Monday. New York Stock Exchange President Stacey Cunningham told CNBC the move came after two people tested positive for the coronavirus. She said the two have not been in the building this week and that the facility was cleaned since their last visit.

Cunningham said that while the exchange is "taking the precautionary step of closing the trading floors," it still believes "markets should remain open" and that it is "fully capable of operating in an all-electronic fashion."