The trading system for over-the-counter stocks under the sponsorship of NASD and Nasdaq.

Refers to over-the-counter trading. System of trading OTC stocks under the sponsorship of the NASD. Must meet certain criteria for size, profitability and trading activity. More comprehensive information is available for NMS stocks than for non-NMS stocks traded OTC (high, low, and last-sale prices, cumulative volume figures, and bid and ask quotations throughout the day). This is due to the fact that market makers must report the actual price and number of shares in each transaction within 90 seconds verses nonreal-time reporting for non-NMS stocks (thus, last sale prices and minute-to-minute volume updates are not possible).

The NMS links all the major stock markets in the U.S. and was developed to foster competition among them. Its electronic Intermarket Trading System (ITS) displays current bid and ask prices for stocks on each of those markets so that brokers can execute trades on any market where a stock is listed. Brokers can often get a better price or a faster turnaround on one market than on another, depending on the volume of trading or the size of the trade.