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Market Structure

What Causes a Trading Halt?

Volatility halts, news halts, and why the resumption is the risky part.

Ray Okafor · Updated March 2026 · 6 min

Volatility halts

Exchanges pause trading when price moves outside a defined band in a short window. The pause is meant to let the order book rebuild.

News and regulatory halts

A halt can also be called for pending news or a regulatory concern. These can last far longer, and the reopen price may be a long way from the last print.

Why the reopen matters most

Positions cannot be managed while halted. Anyone holding through a halt accepts whatever the resumption price turns out to be, which is why size discipline matters before a halt, not after.

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