UBS says that it was the top trader in the major U.S. markets last year.

The firm reports that, according to NYSE statistics, UBS was the leading share trader on the exchange for every quarter of last year. It also says that volume indicators such as Nasdaq Trader and Autex list UBS as the number-one share market maker in Nasdaq stocks. And, Autex lists UBS as the leading trader of American Depository Receipts for 2005.

The firm noted that while it “has long been a major force in U.S. institutional trading”, the acquisition of Schwab Capital Markets in October 2004 boosted its volumes via retail order flow from top U.S. broker-dealers.

“With high volumes from diverse sources creating a vast natural liquidity pool, there are greater opportunities for ‘crossing’, which matches together natural buyers and sellers of a stock. Crossing reduces transaction costs and lowers the chances of a trade adversely affecting a stock’s price,” it added.

“This is exciting news,” said Raul Esquivel, head of U.S. Equities. “Our status as the number-one liquidity provider on the two primary U.S. exchanges allows us to serve our clients better than any of our peers. We continuously hear that clients recognize the value of the diversity of our flow, our ability to manage large orders with minimal market impact, and the quality execution we provide in the form of speed and price improvement. So it’s great that external data now also puts us as the biggest – and, by implication, the best provider of execution services.”