AUTEX is an electronic platform from Thomson Financial that allows potential buyers or sellers of a large block of shares to identify other large traders on the bid and ask side of a particular stock. By showing "trade advertisements" in a stock issue, the interface presents indicators of interest among traders who wish to get a feel for the market liquidity before executing a large trade.

Imagine two traders in Company XYZ stock, one looking to sell 100,000 shares and another looking to purchase 100,000 shares. By showing interest on the AUTEX system, they can identify each other without the risk of placing a large market order that could push the stock higher due to the immediate share imbalance. once interest has been established on both sides of the trade, the trade will be executed in the standard manner, whether it be on the stock exchange or over-the-counter.