U.S. securities regulators on Thursday proposed a ban on flash orders that stock exchanges send to a select group of traders fractions of a second before revealing them publicly.

The Securities and Exchange Commission is seeking to curb a practice criticized for giving an unfair advantage to some market participants who have lightning-fast computer trading software.

The proposed ban on flash orders is part of a broader effort by the SEC to crack down on obscure corners of the U.S. stock market.

(Reporting by Karey Wutkowski; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)

Investment Ban