Why does everyone bitch about the specialist? Like NASDAQ is not a free for all? And ECN's are the great liquidity supplier when the carpet falls out of a stock? Wait....100 share markets on OTC is a market too? Grow up kiddies....
I had a stop loss order get hit the other day on a NYSE stock. The slippage on the trade was 10% of the value of the stock. Even in a fast market that defies explanation. I was very fortunate b/c I started with 2000 shares and got rid of the first 1500 at a profit. It was only the remaining 500 shares that got hit. Still, it destroyed a beautiful trade.
If it wasn't for those truly great Specialists putting their asses on the line to preserve liquidity and the American way of life, victory in Iraq would seem hollow indeed.