A trading halt is a temporary suspension of trading activity on a particular stock or securities market. This can be due to a variety of reasons, such as an announcement of important news that may affect the price of the security or technical issues with the trading system. During a trading halt, orders cannot be executed, and the market may remain closed for a specified period of time. The purpose of a trading halt is to give investors time to assess new information and prevent excessive volatility or price manipulation in the market.