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Special Orders and Trading Instructions – South Florida Broker/Dealer, Investment Advisor and Account Executive Breach of Fiduciary Duty, Breach of Contract, Mismanagement, Negligence and Negligent Supervision FINRA Arbitration and Litigation Attorney:
Special Orders and Trading Instructions:
In addition to market and limit orders, brokerage firms may allow investors to use special orders and trading instructions to buy and sell stocks. One of the most common special orders and trading instructions is the “stop order.”
Stop Order: A stop order, also referred to as a stop-loss order, is an order to buy or sell a stock once the price of the stock reaches a specified price, known as the stop price. When the stop price is reached, a stop order becomes a market order. A buy stop order is entered at a stop price above the current market price. Investors generally use a buy stop order to limit a loss or to protect a profit on a stock that they have sold short. A sell stop order is entered at a stop price below the current market price. Investors generally use a sell stop order to limit a loss or to protect a profit on a stock that they own. Before using a stop order, investors should consider the following: short-term market fluctuations in a stock’s price can activate a stop order, so a stop price should be selected carefully. The stop price is not the guaranteed execution price for a stop order. The stop price is a trigger that causes the stop order to become a market order. The execution price an investor receives for this market order can deviate significantly from the stop price in a fast-moving market where prices change rapidly. An investor can avoid the risk of a stop order executing at an unexpected price by placing a stop-limit order, but the limit price may prevent the order from being executed. For certain types of stocks, some brokerage firms have different standards for determining whether a stop price has been reached. For these stocks, some brokerage firms use only last-sale prices to trigger a stop order, while other firms use quotation prices. Investors should check with their brokerage firms to determine the specific rules that will apply to stop orders.
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