On 1/29/2001, the New York Stock exchange ended its 200-year tradition of quoting stock prices in fractions and switched to decimals. It was said that pricing stocks the same way other consumer items...On 1/29/2001, the New York Stock exchange ended its 200-year tradition of quoting stock prices in fractions and switched to decimals. It was said that pricing stocks the same way other consumer items were priced would make it easier for investors to understand and compare stock prices. Supporters of the change claimed that trading volume, the number of shares of stock traded, would increase and improve efficiency. But switching to decimals would have another effect of narrowing the spread.
