Trading

Citi isn’t the only one with a fat finger problem

Being rushed, typos and confusing ticker symbols are among the reasons small investors cite when they’ve bought the wrong stock

A recent ‘inputting error’ by a Citi trader led to the sale of $1.4bn in equities, prompting a ‘flash crash’ in European stocks.
A recent ‘inputting error’ by a Citi trader led to the sale of $1.4bn in equities, prompting a ‘flash crash’ in European stocks. Photo: Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The Wall Street Journal

A trader cost Citigroup $78m in fines this week by mistyping an order to sell shares. It’s a gaffe that ordinary investors like Derek Robinson of Seattle can relate to. 

The 45-year-old electrician was rushing one day last year to jump in on an investing trend he’d read about on Reddit. In his haste, he entered the wrong ticker symbol.

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