Stop Order

A stop 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 specified price is reached, your stop order becomes a market order.

Buy Stop Order — Investors typically use a stop order when buying stock to limit a loss or protect a profit on short sales. The order is entered at a stop price that is always above the current market price.

Sell Stop Order — A sell stop order helps investors to avoid further losses or to protect a profit that exists if a stock price continues to drop. A stop order to sell is always placed below the current market price.

The advantage of a stop order is you don't have to monitor how a stock is performing on a daily basis. The disadvantage is that the stop price could be activated by a short-term fluctuation in a stock's price. Also, once your stop price is reached, your stop order becomes a market order and the price you receive may be much different from the stop price, especially in a fast-moving market where stock prices can change rapidly. An investor can avoid the risk of a stop order not guaranteeing a specific price by placing a stop-limit order.

The use of stop orders is much more frequent for stocks that trade on an exchange than in the over-counter (OTC) market. In addition, your broker-dealer may not allow you to place a stop order on some securities or accept a stop order for OTC stocks. Before you enter into these types of orders, you should speak to your broker or financial advisor about how these orders work.