Scottrade routed your order to a market-maker, who can profit by giving a bad trade price. The market-maker then paid a reward to Scottrade (but not to you).
This is called "payment for order flow".
Knowledgeable traders avoid trading thru a broker who allows execution prices to be compromised by "payment for order flow".
You should have read the fine print before you traded thru this broker. Here is Scottrade's disclosure of payment for order flow, contained in its SEC Rule 606 report for 3Q 2008, which you can verify at
http://www.marketsystems.com/msi/reports/index.html?clientid=SSIC:
Go back to report
Disclosure Information:
Disclosure Information:
Material Aspects of Relationships with Route Venues
Scottrade, Inc. Third Quarter 2008
I. Securities Listed On the New York Stock Exchange:
[TRIM]
Scottrade, Inc. receives payment from Knight Capital arkets
LLC (Trimark), a subsidiary of Knight Trading Group, Inc.,
for orders in listed stocks. Payment is variable based on
order and execution types. Payments during third quarter
2008 averaged at or below $0.001 per share.
Scottrade's principal shareholder and President is a
shareholder of Knight Trading Group, Inc.
[CDRG]
Scottrade receives payment from Citadel Execution
Services for certain types of orders in listed stocks.
Payment is variable based on order and execution types.
Payments during third quarter 2008 averaged at or below
$0.001 per share.
[AUTO]
Scottrade receives payment from Automated Trading Desk
Financial Services, LLC for certain types of orders in
listed stocks. Payment is variable based on order and
execution types. Payments during third quarter 2008
averaged at or below $0.001 per share.
Scottrade's Director of Trading Services is a shareholder of
Citigroup. Automated Trading Desk is a subsidiary of
Citigroup.
[UBSS]
Scottrade receives payment from UBS Securities LLC
for certain types of orders in listed stocks. Payment is
variable based on order and execution types. Payments
during third quarter 2008 averaged at or below $0.001 per
share.
II. NASDAQ Securities:
[NITE]
Scottrade receives payment from Knight Equity Markets,
LP (a subsidiary of Knight Trading Group, Inc.) for certain
NASDAQ and OTC orders. Payment is variable based on order
and execution types. Payments during third quarter 2008
averaged below $0.001 per share.
Scottrade's principal shareholder and President is a
shareholder of Knight Trading Group, Inc.
[AUTO]
Scottrade receives payment from Automated Trading Desk
Financial Services, LLC for certain types of orders in
NASDAQ and OTC stocks. Payment is variable based on order
and execution types. Payments during third quarter 2008
averaged at or below $0.001 per share.
Scottrade's Director of Trading Services is a shareholder of
Citigroup. Automated Trading Desk is a subsidiary of
Citigroup.
[CDRG]
Scottrade receives payment from Citadel Execution Services
for certain types of NASDAQ and OTC orders. Payment is
variable based on order and execution types. Payments
during third quarter 2008 averaged at or below $0.001 per
share.
[UBSS]
Scottrade receives payment from UBS Securities LLC for
certain types of NASDAQ and OTC orders. Payment is
variable based on order and execution types. Payments
during third quarter 2008 averaged at or below $0.001 per
share.
III. Securities Listed on the American Stock Exchange or
Regional Exchanges:
[TRIM]
Scottrade, Inc. receives payment from Knight Capital
Markets LLC (Trimark), a subsidiary of Knight Trading
Group, Inc., for orders in listed stocks. Payment is
variable based on order and execution types. Payments
during third quarter 2008 averaged at or below $0.001 per
share.
Scottrade's principal shareholder and President is a
shareholder of Knight Trading Group, Inc.
[CDRG]
Scottrade receives payment from Citadel Execution
Services for certain types of orders in listed stocks.
Payment is variable based on order and execution types.
Payments during third quarter 2008 averaged at or below
$0.001 per share.
[AUTO]
Scottrade receives payment from Automated Trading Desk
Financial Services, LLC for certain types of orders in
listed stocks. Payment is variable based on order and
execution types. Payments during third quarter 2008
averaged at or below $0.001 per share.
Scottrade's Director of Trading Services is a shareholder of
Citigroup. Automated Trading Desk is a subsidiary of
Citigroup.
[UBSS]
Scottrade receives payment from UBS Securities LLC
for certain types of orders in listed stocks. Payment is
variable based on order and execution types. Payments
during third quarter 2008 averaged at or below $0.001 per
share.
IV. Exchange-Listed Options:
Options Order Routing Disclosure:
[SBSH]
Scottrade receives payment from Citigroup Global Markets
Inc. for certain types of option orders routed to them for
execution on an option exchange. Payment is determined
based on a schedule provided by Citigroup. Payments in
third quarter 2008 averaged at or below $0.70 per contract.
Scottrade's Director of Trading Services is a shareholder
of Citigroup.
[MLCO]
Scottrade receives payment from Merrill Lynch/Broadcort
Execution Services for orders routed to them for execution
on an option exchange. Eligibility for payment is
determined by the executing market center or Specialist.
Payments in third quarter 2008 averaged at or below $0.70
per contract.
[CES]
Scottrade receives payment from Citadel Execution Services
for orders routed to them for execution on an option
exchange. Eligibility is determined by the executing
market center or specialist. Payments in third quarter
2008 averaged at or below $0.70 per contract.
[SUSQ]
Scottrade receives payment from Susquehanna International
Group for orders routed to them for execution on an option
exchange. Eligibility is determined by the executing
market center or specialist. Payments in third quarter
2008 averaged at or below $0.70 per contract.