
Summary
- A stop-limit order is a trade tool that traders use to mitigate risks when buying and selling stocks.
- A stop-limit order is implemented when the price of stocks reaches a specified point.
- A stop-limit order does not guarantee that a trade will be executed if the stock does not reach the specified price.
What does selling stock on limit order mean?
What Does a Limit Order Mean?
- The Function of a Limit Order. A limit order lets you set a price at which you want to buy or sell a stock. ...
- Using Limit Orders. A limit order is used to buy stock at a price lower than the current share price or to sell stock at a higher price than the ...
- Time Frames for Orders. ...
- Comparisons to Stop Orders. ...
Which is better between a limit order vs market order?
Market orders generally execute immediately, and are filled at the market price. Speed is the main consideration when choosing a market order. Limit orders and stop limit orders only execute when the market reaches the specified limit and/or stop price. For many investors, limit orders can help manage their active trading by automating their ...
What is the difference between market and limit orders?
Market orders give you an instant fill but there’s no guarantee of your fill price. Limit orders lock in your fill price but don’t guarantee you will get filled. They are safer though. Watch our video on a limit order vs market order and their differences when trading.
How to buy limit orders?
Limit Order. In a limit order, the investor has to specify a quantity and the desired price at which he or she wants to make the transaction. Say a share is currently trading at Rs 100 per share but the investor wants to buy it at Rs 95 per share. A limit order of say 10 shares at Rs 95 per share is placed.

How do limit orders work when selling?
A limit order is an order to buy or sell a stock at a specific price or better. A buy limit order can only be executed at the limit price or lower, and a sell limit order can only be executed at the limit price or higher. A limit order is not guaranteed to execute.
Does a limit order sell immediately?
Limit order This means that your order may only be filled at your designated price or better. However, you're also directing your order to fill only if this condition occurs. Limit orders allow control over the price of an execution, but they do not guarantee that the order will be executed immediately or even at all.
Can you sell before Limit order?
Key Takeaways You can use limit orders whether you're buying or selling.
Why is my limit order not selling?
Why Might a Limit Order Not Get Filled? A buy limit order won't get filled if the price of the underlying asset jumps above the order's stated price. This is because the limit price is the maximum amount the investor is willing to pay. In the case of a gap, that price would now be below the market price.
How long do limit orders last?
Limit orders: Make trade when the price is right Sometimes the broker will even fill your order at a better price. Typically, you can set limit orders to execute up to three months after you enter them, meaning you don't have to watch compulsively to get your price.
Are Limit orders good?
Limit orders can be of particular benefit when trading in a stock or other asset that is thinly traded, highly volatile, or has a wide bid-ask spread: the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay for an asset in the market and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept.
How do limit orders make money?
A buy limit order is an order to purchase an asset at or below a specified price, allowing traders to control how much they pay. By using a limit order to make a purchase, the investor is guaranteed to pay that price or less. While the price is guaranteed, the order being filled is not.
Which is better stop or limit order?
Remember that the key difference between a limit order and a stop order is that the limit order will only be filled at the specified limit price or better; whereas, once a stop order triggers at the specified price, it will be filled at the prevailing price in the market--which means that it could be executed at a ...
What happens if a limit order is not executed?
A buy limit order allows investors to pick a specific price and assures that they will only pay that price or better. A buy limit order will not execute if the ask price remains above the specified buy limit price. A buy limit order protects investors during a period of unexpected volatility in the market.
What happens if you place a limit order above market price?
In other words, if you place a buy limit order, your order will buy the stock at your limit price or a lesser price but not at a higher price. Similarly, a sell limit order will sell the stock at your limit price or at a higher price but not at a lower price.
How long does it take for a limit order to execute?
Limit orders guarantee a price, but you may not get filled until the stock price reaches your limit. Once orders are filled, they can take an additional couple of days to go through the clearing and settlement process, although you'll see them in your account pretty much right away.
Can a limit order be Cancelled?
Investors may cancel standing orders, such as a limit or stop order, for any reason so long as the order has not been filled yet. Limit and stop orders may stand for hours or days before being filled depending on price movement, so these orders can logically be canceled without difficulty.
How long does it take for a limit order to execute?
Limit orders guarantee a price, but you may not get filled until the stock price reaches your limit. Once orders are filled, they can take an additional couple of days to go through the clearing and settlement process, although you'll see them in your account pretty much right away.
Do limit orders work after hours?
Investors can only place limit orders (and not market orders) to buy or sell shares in the after-hours market. The ECN then matches these orders based on the prices set in the limit orders.
Will a limit order fill at a lower price?
A limit order guarantees that an order is filled at or better than a specific price level. A limit order is not guaranteed to be filled, however.
Can you place a limit order above market price?
Above the Market Order Types Limit Order to Sell: A trader or investor that already owns shares may place a limit order to sell at a price higher than the current market price.
How Long Does a Limit Order Last?
Try to use day limit orders if you’re day trading. If your brokerage doesn’t offer them, you’ll be fitted with the good-till-canceled kind. Dependi...
Can You Cancel a Limit Order?
Yes, you can and should. You never want to leave an order active and unattended. Chances are you’ll forget about it — until it gets filled when you...
Should I Sell Market or Limit?
I tell every beginning trader to use sell limit orders. I still use them myself. They matter a lot for the volatile penny stock trading that has ma...
What Is a Sell Stop Limit Order Example?
Let’s say you go long on a volatile penny stock. You use a sell stop limit order to protect yourself on the trade. You could set the stop at a 3% l...
How to become a consistent trader?
To become a consistent trader, you need to really understand what a sell limit order is. Otherwise, you’re just guessing. I never want to be just guessing — that’s why I never use market orders. Market orders can be risky, especially if you trade penny stocks like I do. Trading can be unpredictable in a lot of ways.
What is a sell limit order?
A sell limit order is a minimum price you set for selling a stock. Think of it as a trader’s way of being a good negotiator. When you’re making a deal, you don’t say, “I’ll sell for whatever the going rate is.”. You find out the rate, then kick it up a notch to what you think the market can stand.
What is a stop loss order?
This is just a bit more jargon to confuse newbies. One more wrinkle — the trailing stop limit order. This is a stop order that moves in parallel to the stock price. It only becomes fixed when the stock reverses its movement.
Is selling limit orders risky?
Market orders can be risky, especially if you trade penny stocks like I do. Trading can be unpredictable in a lot of ways. When you use sell limit orders, you protect yourself from price fluctuations. Those can quickly turn your small gains into big losses. I only like price fluctuations when they work in my favor.
Do you have to leave a window between market price and limit?
Otherwise, there’s a chance the stock will have dropped past your limit in the time it took you to place the order. This will cause your order to go unfilled. There’s also the risk of a partial fill for a poorly traded stock.
Why do you need a limit order?
Additionally, a limit order can be useful if a trader is not watching a stock and has a specific price in mind at which they would be happy to buy or sell that security. Limit orders can also be left open with an expiration date.
What is the limit for XYZ stock?
If the trader is looking to sell shares of XYZ’s stock with a $14.50 limit, the trader will not sell any shares until the price is $14.50 or higher. By using a buy limit order the investor is guaranteed to pay the buy limit order price or better, but it is not guaranteed that the order will be filled. A limit order gives a trader more control ...
What happens if an asset does not reach the specified price?
If the asset does not reach the specified price, the order is not filled and the investor may miss out on the trading opportunity. This can be contrasted with a market order, whereby a trade is executed at the prevailing market price without any price limit specified.
What is market order?
Market orders are transactions meant to execute as quickly as possible at the present or market price. Conversely, a limit order sets the maximum or minimum price at which you are willing to buy or sell. Buying stocks can be thought of with an analogy to buying a car.
Can limit orders be filled?
A limit order is not guaranteed to be filled, however. Limit orders control execution price but can result in missed opportunities in fast-moving market conditions. Limit orders can be used in conjunction with stop orders to prevent large downside losses. 2:43.
Can you buy stocks with a car?
Buying stocks can be thought of with an analogy to buying a car. With a car, you can pay the dealer’s sticker price and get the car. Or you can negotiate a price and refuse to finalize the deal unless the dealer meets your price. The stock market can be thought of to work in a similar way.
Who is Michael Kramer?
Michael Kramer is an expert on company news and the founder of Mott Capital Management. Michael has over 20 years of experience with investing and 10 years as a buy side equity trader. He received his master's degree in investment management from Pace University.
What is a limit order?
A buy limit order executes at the given price or lower. A sell limit order executes at the given price or higher. The order only trades your stock at the given price or better. But a limit order will not always execute. Your trade will only go through if a stock’s market price reaches or improves upon the limit price.
When to use limit orders?
Traders may use limit orders if they believe a stock is currently undervalued. They might buy the stock and place a limit order to sell once it goes up. Conversely, traders who believe a stock is overpriced can place a limit order to buy shares once that price falls.
Why are limit orders important?
Limit orders are increasingly important as the pace of the market quickens. According to CNN, computer algorithms execute more than half of all stock market trades each day. Limit orders that restrict buying and selling prices can help investors avoid portfolio damage from wild market swings such as investors have seen with shares ...
What happens if you set your buy limit too low?
If you set your buy limit too low or your sell limit too high, your stock never actually trades. Let’s say Widget Co. is currently trading at $15 per share and you set your limit order to buy at $10. The stock dips down to $11 but never goes lower before returning to a $14 per share. If you set your buy limit higher, ...
What are the risks of a stop limit order?
A stop-limit order has two primary risks: no fills or partial fills. It is possible for your stop price to be triggered and your limit price to remain unavailable. If you used a stop-limit order as a stop loss to exit a long position once the stock started to drop, it might not close your trade.
What is stop order?
A stop order isn't visible to the market and will activate a market order once a stop price has been met. A stop order avoids the risks of no fills or partial fills, but because it is a market order, you may have your order filled at a price much worse than what you were expecting.
What is a stop order in stock trading?
When you place a limit order or stop order, you tell your broker you don't want the market price (the current price at which a stock is trading); instead, you want your order to be executed once the stock price matches a price that you specify. There are two primary differences between limit and stop orders. The first is that a limit order uses ...
What happens when you put a stop order?
If the order is a stop-limit, then a limit order will be placed conditional on the stop price being triggered.
How does a stop order work?
The first is that a limit order uses a price to designate the least acceptable amount for the transaction to take place, while a stop uses a price to merely trigger an actual order once the specified price has been traded. The second is that a limit order can be seen by the market; a stop order can't until it is triggered.
When will stop orders be triggered?
Many brokers now add the term "stop on quote" to their order types to make it clear that the stop order will only be triggered once a valid quoted price in the market has been met.
Can a stop order be seen by the market?
The second is that a limit order can be seen by the market; a stop order can't until it is triggered. For example, if you want to buy an $80 stock at $79 per share, then your limit order can be seen by the market and filled when sellers are willing to meet that price. A stop order will not be seen by the market and will only be triggered once ...
Market order
A market order is a request to buy a stock at the best price available in the market at that time. Once you place an order, via the click of a mouse or through your broker’s trading platform — your order will be fulfilled, usually within seconds.
Limit order
A limit order is a request you place with your broker that sets certain “limits” – a ceiling or floor price – on trades. When you place a limit order, you are placing an order to buy or sell a stock and establish the maximum price to be paid or the minimum price to be received (the “limit price”).
Market and Limit Order Risks
As with all investment tools and strategies, there are risks involved. Along with the inherent risks in the way you invest and trade – and the market itself– each of these orders adds additional risks that you should consider if you’re debating their use.
The bottom line
Choosing between a market order and limit order comes down to your goals and comfort level.
What is limit order in stock trading?
Depending on your investing style, different types of orders can be used to trade stocks more effectively. A market order simply buys (or sells) shares at the prevailing market prices until the order is filled. A limit order specifies a certain price at which the order must be filled, although there is no guarantee that some or all ...
What is market order?
A market order is the most basic type of trade. It is an order to buy or sell immediately at the current price. Typically, if you are going to buy a stock, then you will pay a price at or near the posted ask. If you are going to sell a stock, you will receive a price at or near the posted bid. 1 .
Why do people use market orders?
The advantage of using market orders is that you are guaranteed to get the trade filled; in fact, it will be executed as soon as possible.
How long can you keep an order open?
Brokerages will typically limit the maximum time you can keep an order open (or active) to 90 days. 4
What is stop loss order?
A stop-loss order is also referred to as a stopped market, on-stop buy, or on-stop sell, this is one of the most useful orders. This order is different because, unlike the limit and market orders, which are active as soon as they are entered, this order remains dormant until a certain price is passed, at which time it is activated as a market order.
What is a take profit order?
Take Profit. A take profit order (sometimes called a profit target) is intended to close out the trade at a profit once it has reached a certain level. Execution of a take profit order closes the position. This type of order is always connected to an open position of a pending order. 5 .
What happens if you don't specify a time frame of expiry through the GTC instruction?
If you don't specify a time frame of expiry through the GTC instruction, then the order will typically be set as a day order. This means that after the end of the trading day, the order will expire. If it isn't transacted (filled) then you will have to re-enter it the following trading day. 4
Why are limit orders more complicated than market orders?
Limit orders are more complicated to execute than market orders and subsequently can result in higher brokerage fees. That said, for low volume stocks that are not listed on major exchanges, it may be difficult to find the actual price, making limit orders an attractive option.
What happens if XYZ doesn't go as low as the investor's limit order?
Of course, this also means that if, at the end of the trading day, XYZ doesn't go as low as the investor's set limit order, the order will be unfilled. Traders need to be aware of the effect of the bid-ask spread on limit orders.
What is the execution option for a stock?
When an investor places an order to buy or sell a stock, there are two fundamental execution options: Place the order "at the market": Market orders are transactions meant to execute as quickly as possible at the current market price. Place the order "at the limit": Limit orders set the maximum or minimum price at which you are willing to buy ...
What is market order?
Market orders are transactions meant to execute as quickly as possible at the current market price. Limit orders set the maximum or minimum price at which you are willing to complete the transaction, whether it be a buy or sell.
How does a market order work?
The stock market works in a similar way. A market order deals with the execution of the order. In other words, the price of the security is secondary to the speed of completing the trade. Limit orders, on the other hand, deal primarily with the price.
How does buying stock work?
Buying stock is a bit like buying a car. With a car, you can pay the dealer’s sticker price and get the car. Or you can negotiate a price and refuse to finalize the deal unless the dealer meets your valuation. The stock market works in a similar way. A market order deals with the execution of the order .
What happens when a market order is placed?
Whenever a market order is placed, there is always the threat of market fluctuations occurring between the time the broker receives the order and the time the trade is executed. This is especially a concern for larger orders, which take longer to fill and, if large enough, can actually move the market on their own.

What Is A Limit Order?
How Limit Orders Work
- A limit order is the use of a pre-specified price to buy or sell a security. For example, if a trader is looking to buy XYZ’s stock but has a limit of $14.50, they will only buy the stock at a price of $14.50 or lower. If the trader is looking to sell shares of XYZ’s stock with a $14.50 limit, the trader will not sell any shares until the price is ...
Limit Order Example
- A portfolio manager wants to buy Tesla Inc's (TSLA) stock but believes its current valuation at roughly $750 per share is too high and would like to buy the stock should it fall to a specific price. The PM instructs his traders to buy 10,000 shares of Tesla should the price fall below $650, good 'til canceled.The trader then places an order to buy 10,000 shares with a $650 limit. Should the s…
Limit Orders vs. Market Orders
- When an investor places an order to buy or sell a stock, there are two main execution options in terms of price: place the order "at market" or "at limit." Market orders are transactions meant to execute as quickly as possible at the present or market price. Conversely, a limit order sets the maximum or minimum price at which you are willing to buy or sell. Buying stocks can be though…