Nasdaq Options Exchange in Philly Down

Trading was halted at 1:36 EDT on Friday at the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, owned by the Nasdaq OMX Group (NDAQ Quote), after its trading platform stopped functioning.

"We have a floor wide outage on OMX PHLX, and we're working to determine the cause," said Nasdaq OMX spokeswoman Bethany Sherman, adding that the exchange will continue to advise customers throughout the day.

A status message on the nasdaqtrader.com indicated that the halt had occurred and that an alert would be posted when the issue is resolved.

Nasdaq has two options trading platforms: PHLX, a floor trading exchange in an open outcry format, and Nasdaq Options Market, which is fully electronic and still operational.

-- Written by Elizabeth Trotta in New York.