Technical Problems Halt OTC Trading

Computer problems halted trading intermittently throughout the day Thursday in over-the-counter stocks listed through the National Assn. of Securities Dealers Automatic Quotation system.

Craig Thompson, manager of marketing information for the National Assn. of Securities Dealers, said the system was shut down from about 11:05 a.m. to 2 p.m. EDT, then five minutes before the 4 p.m. closing due to a breakdown of equipment at its computer operations center in Trumbull, Conn.

The exact nature of the problem had not been determined, Thompson said.

The NASDAQ system provides price quotations for the securities of about 4,500 companies to brokers and dealers nationwide.

Quotations appearing in The Times for trading on the National Market System are up-to-date through about 3:55 p.m. EDT Thursday, when the computer failed.

The bid-asked OTC list contains data only through 3 p.m. EDT.