Salomon Smith Barney clients don't seem enamored with after-hours trading.
About a month into the program, clients have placed "only a handful of trades each day," a firm spokesperson says.
Most late-trading clients are on the West Coast, and most used their brokers to place orders. Virtually no customers had used the available toll-free number to place late trades directly with the firm.
SSB's extended trading service, rolled out in September, covers about 200 actively traded Nasdaq and listed issues. Customers can trade from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time.
Brokers can arrange to have accounts set up for after-hours trading, or customers can call the firm directly to place trades and speak with a service representative. The representative can provide them with quotes and account information, but cannot offer investment advice or give opinions on late-breaking news.