What Is a Buy Stop Order and When Would You Use One? (2024)

What is a Buy Stop Order

A buy stop order instructs a broker to purchase a security when it reaches a pre-specified price. Once the price hits that level, the buy stop becomes either a limit or a market order, fillable at the next available price.

This type of stop order can apply to stocks, derivatives, forex or a variety of other tradable instruments. The buy stop order can serve a variety of purposes with the underlying assumption that a share price that climbs to a certain height will continue to rise.

Key Takeaways

  • A buy stop order is an order to purchase a security only once the price of the security reaches the specified stop price.
  • The stop price is entered at a level, or strike, set above the current market price.
  • It is a strategy to profit from an upward movement in a stock’s price by placing an order in advance.
  • Buy stop orders can also be used to protect against unlimited losses of an uncovered short position.

Basics of a Buy Stop Order

A buy stop order is most commonly thought of as a tool to protect against the potentially unlimited losses of an uncovered short position. An investor is willing to open that short position to place a bet that the security will decline in price. If that happens, the investor can buy the cheaper shares and profit the difference between the short sale and the purchase of a long position. The investor can protect against a rise in share price buy placing a buy stop order to cover the short position at a price that limits losses. When used to resolve a short position, the buy stop is often referred to as a stop loss order.

The short seller can place their buy stop at a stop price, or strike price either lower or higher than the point at which they opened their short position. If the price has declined significantly and the investor is seeking to protect their profitable position against the subsequent upward movement, they can place the buy stop below the original opening price. An investor looking only to protect against catastrophic short position loss from significant upward movement will open a buy stop order above the original short sale price.

Buy Stop Orders for Bulls

The strategies described above use the buy stop to protect against bullish movement in a security. Another, lesser-known, strategy uses the buy stop to profit from anticipated upward movement in share price. Technical analysts often refer to levels of resistance and support for a stock. The price may go up and down, but it is bracketed at the high end by resistance and by support on the low end. These can also be referred to as a price ceiling and a price floor. Some investors, however, anticipate that a stock that does eventually climb above the line of resistance, in what is known as a breakout, will continue to climb. A buy stop order can be very useful to profit from this phenomenon. The investor will open a buy stop order just above the line of resistance to capture the profits available once a breakout has occurred.Astop loss order canprotect against subsequent decline inshare price.

Example of a Buy Stop Order

Consider the price movement of a stock ABC that is poised to break out of its trading range of between $9 and $10. Let’s a say a trader bets on a price increase beyond that range for ABC and places a buy stop order at $10.20. Once the stock hits that price, the order becomes a market order and the trading system purchases stock at the next available price.

The same type order can be used to cover short positions. In the above scenario, assume that the trader has a large short position on ABC, meaning that she is betting on a future decline in its price. To hedge against the risk of the stock’s movement in the opposite direction i.e., an increase of its price, the trader places a buy stop order that triggers a buy position if ABC’s price increase. Thus, even if the stock moves in the opposite direction, the trader stands to offset her losses.

What Is a Buy Stop Order and When Would You Use One? (2024)

FAQs

What Is a Buy Stop Order and When Would You Use One? ›

A buy stop order

order
Stop-limit orders are a conditional trade that combine the features of a stop loss with those of a limit order to mitigate risk. Stop-limit orders enable traders to have precise control over when the order should be filled, but they are not guaranteed to be executed.
https://www.investopedia.com › terms › stop-limitorder
is an order to purchase a security only once the price of the security reaches the specified stop price
stop price
A stop price is the price in a stop order that triggers the creation of a market order. In the case of a Sell on Stop order, a market sell order is triggered when the market price reaches or falls below the stop price.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Stop_price
. The stop price is entered at a level, or strike, set above the current market price. It is a strategy to profit from an upward movement in a stock's price by placing an order in advance.

When to use buy stop order? ›

Buy stop: Although more commonly used as an exit strategy, stop orders can also be used to enter a position once it reaches or surpasses a particular price threshold.

What is a stop order example? ›

A sell stop order tells the market maker/broker to sell the stocks if the price decreases to the stop point or below, but only if the trader earns a specific price per share. For example, if the current price per share is $60, the trader can set a stop price at $55 and a limit order at $53.

What is the meaning of buy order? ›

STOCK MARKET. an instruction to a broker to buy a certain number of shares, bonds, etc.: A large buy order pushed the shares a penny better to 70p. (Definition of buy order from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

What is an example of a buy stop limit? ›

The stop-limit order triggers a limit order when a stock price hits the stop level. So you might place a stop-limit order to buy 1,000 shares of XYZ, up to $9.50, when the price hits $9. In this example, $9 is the stop level, which triggers a limit order of $9.50. Combining the two, we have the stop-limit order.

What is the benefit of buy stop? ›

Pros: Automatic entry: Buy stop orders allow traders to automatically enter the market when the price reaches a specific level, without having to monitor the market constantly. This can be useful for traders who have limited time or cannot monitor the market continuously.

When would you use a stop buy order quizlet? ›

A buy limit order is used to buy at a lower price (when the market moves down). A buy stop order is used to buy in a short position at a higher price (when the market moves up). To protect the gain, a buy stop order would be placed just above where the stock is currently trading.

How to use buy stop-limit order? ›

The stop-limit order will be executed at a specified price, or better after a given stop price has been reached. Once the stop price is reached, the stop-limit order becomes a limit order to buy or sell at the limit price or better. This type of order is an available option with nearly every online broker.

Who issues a stop order? ›

A Stop Order is a legal demand to cease all employee labor at a job site due to violation of state law(s). This type of order is issued by government agencies when there are safety concerns or unlawful actions in progress.

Where do you place a stop order? ›

A Sell Stop order is always placed below the current market price and is typically used to limit a loss or protect a profit on a long stock position. A Buy Stop order is always placed above the current market price.

How do buy orders work? ›

Buy limit orders provide investors and traders with a means of precisely entering a position. For example, a buy limit order could be placed at $2.40 when a stock is trading at $2.45. If the price dips to $2.40, the order is automatically executed. It will not be executed until the price drops to $2.40 or below.

What happens when you place a buy order? ›

A buy limit order only executes when the market price of the stock is at or below the order's limit price. So, generally speaking, if you place a buy limit order with a price that's above the market price, the order will execute (perhaps at a better price). However, this won't be so if the market price gaps.

What is a buy order vs sell order? ›

Limit Orders
The Four Main Types of Stock Orders
Order TypeDescription
Buy LimitAn order to buy a stock at or below a specific price.
Sell LimitAn order to sell a stock at or above a specific price.
2 more rows
Jun 5, 2024

What is a stop buy order? ›

A buy stop order is an order to purchase a security only once the price of the security reaches the specified stop price. The stop price is entered at a level, or strike, set above the current market price.

When to use stop limit order? ›

A stop-limit order typically ensures that you get the price you set, but it doesn't guarantee that your trade will go through. As a result, you could be left holding shares worth far less than you anticipated. Employ a stop-limit order when you are willing to hold the shares if you can't get your desired price.

What is buy limit and buy stop order? ›

A buy limit order is used when an investor wants to open a long position in a stock at a certain price, while a stop order is used by an investor who wants to lock in profits or limit losses by exiting a position.

Under what circ*mstances would a trader use a stop buy order? ›

A buy stop order is placed above the current market price. When the market price reaches or goes beyond the specified stop price, the order is triggered and executed. Buy stop orders are commonly used to take advantage of upward price momentum, potential breakouts, or significant resistance levels.

When would you use the stop strategy? ›

The STOP strategy helps guide you through difficult conversations. Here are the key components: • State the situa- tion or problem. Tell the person- what you want. Offer an opportunity to respond.

What is the 7% stop-loss rule? ›

To make money in stocks, you must protect the money you already have. That brings us to the cardinal rule of selling. Always sell a stock it if falls 7%-8% below what you paid for it. Investor's Business Daily suggests a stop loss be set at 7%-8% below the purchase price.

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