NYSE Euronext, operator of the New York Stock Exchange, on Thursday said it had “nothing against high frequency trading” but was “not a fan” of flash orders, a type of electronic share order that has generated heated debate in the US.

The comments, by the group’s chief financial officer, Mike Geltzeiler, underscore how the US-based group’s experience with pit trading at NYSE – where market specialists years ago were able to see orders ahead of some other investors – has led to the group distancing itself from order types that appear to give certain traders advantages over others.