Cross trade. A stock market designation for a simultaneous purchase and sale of the same stock.
The term cross trade also is a synonym for a wash trade or transaction when a stock is
simultaneously bought and sold in order to make a quotation. Cross trading or washing when
extensive in a stock is generally for the purpose of inducing speculation in the stock by imparting
apparent activity to it. The dealings are fictitious and so are the prices.  Bucketing operations may
be carried on by means of cross trades; see Bucketing.