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Stock Order Types, Explained: Market, Limit, and Stop Orders

Wall Street Mechanics — The Insider Curriculum • Beginner Investing • 6 min

Buying or selling a stock is a basic decision. But you can approach it in several different ways. Picking the right order type is a practical skill, not just a technical formality. A market order prioritizes speed. It executes immediately at the best available price, but there’s no price guarantee. For a large, heavily-traded stock with a tight bid-ask spread, this usually works fine. The "best available price" is…

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