Fidelity.com Help - Order Types and Conditions (2024)

When you place a stock trade, you can set conditions on how the order is executed, as well as price restrictionsand time limitation on the execution of the order.

Order Types

• What price restrictions can I place on an order?
• What is a market order?
• What is a limit order?
• What price and time limitations can I place on limit orders?
• Will an open limit order expire?
• When are limit orders filled?
• Are limit and stop orders guaranteed?
• What are stop orders?
• How are stop limit orders executed and filled?
• Is the stop price guaranteed for stop loss orders?
• What are the guidelines for trailing stop orders?

Time Limitations

• What time limitations can I place on a stock order?
• For how long are day orders good?
• For how long are good 'til canceled orders good?
• For how long are fill or kill orders good?
• Are there any restrictions on immediate or cancel orders?
• Are there any restrictions on on the open or on the close orders?

Conditions

• What conditions can I place on the execution of an order?
• Is there a minimum quantity for an AON or an AON/DNR order?
• What are the characteristics of an AON order?
• Do reverse stock splits affect DNR or AON/DNR orders?
• What are the characteristics of an AON/DNR order?

Related Help Topics

ORDER TYPES

What price restrictions can I place on an order?

You place a price restriction on a stock trade order by selecting one of the following order types:

• Market Order
• Limit Order
• Stop Loss
• Stop Limit
• Trailing Stop Loss ($ or %)
• Trailing Stop Limit ($ or %)

What is a market order?

When you place a market order, you ask Fidelity to buy or sell securities for your account at the next available price.A market order remains in effect only for the day, and usually results in the prompt purchase or sale of all the shares inquestion, as long as the security is actively traded and market conditions permit.

You should use caution when placing market orders, because the price of securities may change sharply during the tradingday or after hours. During periods of heavy trading or volatility, real-time quotes may not reflect current market prices orquotes. Carefully review the order information and quote provided on the Trade Stocks Verification page before sending yourorder to the marketplace.

If you have limited assets to pay for a transaction, you may wish to consider placing a limit order. If you cannot pay fora transaction, Fidelity may be required to liquidate account assets at your risk.

You cannot place restrictions on the execution of a market order.

What is a limit order?

When you place a limit order to buy, the stock is eligible to be purchased at or below your limit price, but never aboveit. When you place a limit order to sell, the stock is eligible to be sold at or above your limit price, but never below it.Although a limit order enables you to specify a price limit, it does not guarantee that your order will be executed. You shouldmonitor your orders when the new issue starts to trade in the secondary market.

What price and time limitations can I place on limit orders?

For buy limit orders in which your limit price is below the last trade price or sell limit orders in which your limit priceis above the last trade price, your limit price can be no more than 30% away from the last trade. Certain marketplaces may cancellimit orders which are more than 30% away from the last trade. For a stock, you enter the limit price in increments of .01 (one cent).

Except for short sales, you can place limit orders for the day on which they are entered (a day order), or for an open-endedperiod that ends when the order is executed or when you cancel (an open order or good 'til canceled (GTC) order). You can placelimit orders for the day only for short sales.

If you place a limit order with a time-in-force of day and the limit you specify is not reached during the current session,the order is canceled.

Will an open limit order expire?

Yes, all open GTC and GTX orders expire 120 calendar days after they are placed. If the 120th day falls on a weekend orholiday, such orders expire before the market opens on the first business day following the expiration day.

When are limit orders filled?

Limit orders for more than 100 shares or for multiple round lots (200, 300, 400, etc) may be filled completely or inpart until completed. It may take more than one trading day to completely fill a multiple round lot order unless the orderis designated as all or none, immediate or cancel, or fill or kill.

Are limit and stop orders guaranteed?

Although a limit or order lets you specify a price limit, it doesn't guarantee that your order will be executed. Ordersat each price level are filled in a sequence determined by the rules of the various exchanges; therefore, there can be noassurance that all orders at a particular price limit (including yours) will be filled when that price is reached.

After the limit price is triggered, the security's price may continue to rise or fall. As a result, your order may ormay not execute depending if the security's price in relation to your specified limit price is too great. Bear in mind thatyour order may execute at a price more or less than your specified limit price. Limit orders are also subject to the existenceof a market for that security.

What are stop orders?

Stop orders are used to buy and sell after a stock has reached a certain price level. A buy stop order is placed abovethe current market price, and a sell stop order is placed below the current price (to protect a profit or limit a potential loss).

For listed securities, a stop order to buy becomes a market order when a trade occurs at or above the stop price. A stoporder to sell becomes a market order when a trade in the security occurs at or below the stop price.

For over the counter (OTC) securities, a stop limit order to buy becomes a limit order, and a stop loss order to buy becomesa market order, when the stock is offered (National Best Offer quotation) at or higher than the specified stop price. A stop limitorder to sell becomes a limit order, and a stop loss order to sell becomes a market order, when the stock is bid (National BestBid quotation) at or lower than the specified stop price. Note, however, that some market makers may apply the guidelines for listedsecurity stop orders to OTC securities. Further information regarding specific transactions is available upon written request.

Stop orders are not always accepted. The specialists on the various exchanges and market makers have the right to refuse stop orders under certain marketconditions. Not all securities are eligible for stop orders.

On open limit orders to buy and open stop limit orders to sell listed stocks, the limit price is automatically reducedon the "ex-dividend" date by approximately the amount of the upcoming dividend, unless you specify the do not reduce conditionwhen you place the order.

How are stop limit orders executed and filled?

Company news or market conditions which significantly affect the price of a security could prevent a stop limit orderfrom being executed if the price of the security moves through your stop limit price.

For example, a stock is quoted at 85 Bid and 85.75 Ask. A sell stop limit order for a listed security placed at 83 is triggeredat 83, at which point the order becomes a limit order. The stock would have to trade at 83 again for the sell stop limit order tobe considered for execution at 83 or better. If the trigger price of 83 is reached, but the stock price continues to fall below 83,the order is not considered for execution.

Like any limit order, a stop limit order may be filled in whole, in part, or not at all, depending on the number of sharesavailable for sale or purchase at the time. The specialists on the various exchanges and market makers have the right to refusethe orders under certain market conditions. Not all securities are eligible for stop orders.

A stop limit order automatically becomes a limit order when the stop limit price is reached. Like any limit order, a stoplimit order may be filled in whole, in part, or not at all, depending on the number of shares available for sale or purchaseat the time.

Is the stop price guaranteed for stop loss orders?

No. Company news or market conditions which significantly affect the price of a security could result in the execution of astop loss order at a price dramatically different from your stop loss price.

For example, a stock is quoted at 85 Bid and 85.75 Ask. A sell stop loss order for a listed security placed at 83 is triggeredat 83, at which point the order becomes a market order. The market order is filled at the next available price(s), which could belower than 83.

What are the guidelines for trailing stop orders?

Trailing stop loss and limit orders are available on all listed and OTC securities. For listed securities, the trigger is basedoff the last trade, regardless of whether it is a buy or a sell order. For OTC securities, the trigger is based off the bid for asell and the ask for a buy. You can enter trailing stop orders as either day or good 'til canceled.

TIME LIMITATIONS

What time limitations can I place on an order?

You place a time limitation on a stock trade order by selecting one of the following time-in-force types:

• Day
• Good 'til Canceled
• Fill or Kill
• Immediate or Cancel
• On the Open
• On the Close

For how long are day orders good?

If you place a day order during the standard market session, the order is good until the current day's market close (4 p.m. ET).If you place a day order after the close of trading, the order is good until the close of the next trading day. If you place alimit order with a time-in-force of day during an extended hours session, the order is good until the session ends.

For how long are good 'til canceled orders good?

Good 'til canceled orders are generally good for 120 days. If the order is not executed after 120 days, the order isautomatically cancelled. Some plans have been granted the ability to place GTC orders without a time limit. These orders remainin effect until the order executes, or until plan rules require the order to be cancelled.

You cannot specify good 'til canceled when selling short.

For how long are fill or kill orders good?

Fill or kill orders are either immediately completed in their entirety or canceled. They are good only for the current day.

You can place fill or kill orders only during market hours on orders of 101 shares or more. You cannot specify fill or killon stop orders, or when selling short.

If you do not fully understand how to use fill or kill, call a Fidelity representative at 800-544-6666 before using thistime limitation.

Are there any restrictions on immediate or cancel orders?

You can place immediate or cancel orders during the standard market or extended hours sessions. During the standard marketsession, the minimum quantity for immediate or cancel orders is more than one round lot of shares (more than 100 shares). Duringextended hours sessions, the minimum quantity for immediate or cancel orders is 200 shares, up to a maximum of 5,000 sharesYou cannot use Immedate or Cancel with stop orders.

Are there any restrictions on on the open or on the close orders?

You can place on on the open orders for a minimum of 100 shares before 9:15 a.m. ET when the markets are open. Nasdaq doesnot accept on the open orders. You cannot specify on the open on stop orders, or when selling short.

You can place on the close orders for a minimum of 100 shares before 3:40 p.m. ET. Nasdaq does not accept on the close orders.You cannot specify on the close on stop orders, or when selling short.

If you do not fully understand how to use on the open or on the close, call a Fidelity representative at 800-544-6666 before using this timelimitation.

CONDITIONS

What conditions can I place on the execution of an order?

You place conditions on a stock trade order by selecting one of the following:

• None
• All or None
• Do Not Reduce
• All or None/Do Not Reduce

Is there a minimum quantity for an AON or an AON/DNR order?

Some securities may require a minimum of two round lots (generally, one round lot is 100 shares) when placing an order with theall or none condition. Please review your order or call a Fidelity representative at 800-544-6666.

What are the characteristics of an AON order?

All or none orders are allowed for most equity securities, and are allowed for thinly traded securities (securities for whichthere are few bids to buy or sell). Note that all or none orders are the lowest priority orders on the market floor because ofthe restrictions that they bear.

Placing an all or none condition on an order ensures that all shares in your order are executed at the same time. Without allor none, your shares may execute in more than one transaction (e.g., 400 of 1000 shares are executed as part of a partial orderexecution and, and the remaining 600 shares are executed later and possibly at a different price).

Do reverse stock splits affect DNR or AON/DNR orders?

No.

What are the characteristics of an AON/DNR order?

All or none/do not reduce orders are allowed for most equity securities, and are allowed for thinly traded securities(securities for which there are few bids to buy or sell). You cannot use AON/DNR when selling short. Note that all or noneorders are the lowest priority orders on the market floor because of the restrictions that they bear.