Tuesday, January 27, 2009

The Different Types of Stock Trades

By Gerdie Maple

Before you get too deep into the world of stock trading online, think about where you want to take your trading endeavors. There are some types of stock trades which are complex and should not be attempted until you have attained more expertise in the field. The professionals always suggest starting with small, less complex trades and testing the water before going on to complicated trades like short sells and options trades. Under some market conditions, the price at which your trade may be executed can be substantially different than the price you were quoted. You can insulate yourself from this by using limit orders, but these can also prevent your trade from being executed.

This kind of price fluctuation is especially common in very hot stocks such as IPOs. Initial public offerings commonly have rapid changes in price due to the very high volume of trading for a new offering. There are delays in quotes, since the trading is simply happening too fast for quotes to keep pace in real time. This has led many novice investors to pay a lot more than they had anticipated for a stock; this is why a limit order can be a very good thing, especially if you are new to the stock market.

You must understand the fast market environment to comprehend what can happen if you have not taken precautions. In fast markets, when lots of investors are trading and prices change quickly, delays can develop across the board. Executions and confirmations slow down, while price quotes lag behind actual prices. Online investors expect instant access to their accounts and instantaneous executions of their trades. In a fast-moving market, this is not possible.

While the SEC does not have any regulations which cover how quickly a trade has to be executed, the firms making the trades do have to adhere to their speed of execution published (if they have done so) and to inform investors if significant delays are expected.

Remember that if you want to buy or sell a stock with a price range, then you need to use a limit order. Market orders are direct buys or sells with no conditions, and are filled at whatever price the market provides. A limit order is an order to buy or sell a security at a specific price. 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. Market orders do not control the price at which your order will be filled.

Should you want to buy a hot IPO that was initially offered at $9 but don't want to pay more than $20 for the stock, you can place a limit order to buy the stock at any price up to $20. By entering a limit order rather than a market order, you will not end up buying the stock at $90 and then suffering immediate losses as the stock drops later. Also remember that your limit order may never be filled if the market moves too fast before your order can be filled. Limit orders will protect you from buying the stock at too high a price.

If you are unable to access your trading account online, find out what your other options are. Most online trading firms will also allow you to make trades by touch tone phone, by fax or the old-school method of simply calling a broker and speaking to them in person. Keep in mind that any events which cause a delay in online trades will similarly affect trades made through these alternate means as well.

Never make assumptions when it comes to your trades "plenty of traders have failed to confirm their orders and placed a second order, ending up with far more stock than they intended to buy. Talk to a broker at your firm and make sure you know how to make sure your order has been executed before placing another. - 20896

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