When you have your own view on a particular market, but don’t have the time to constantly monitor prices manually, pending orders might be a good solution to your problem. Learn what types of pending orders you can find on xStation 5, how to place a pending order, and how to trade right from the chart.
*Since the recording of these videos, negative balance protection has come into force from 02.10.17. This means that whilst trading losses cannot exceed funds in your account, your capital is still at risk.
In this lesson you can learn:
- What types of pending orders can be found on xStation 5
- How to place a pending order
- How to trade right from the chart
When trading the financial markets, there are essentially two ways to open a trade:
- Instant execution - your trade is opened immediately at the price available.
- Pending order - your trade is opened when a market reaches a specific level, chosen by you.
Over time, you’ll probably find that you use both types of transactions in your trading. But how exactly do pending orders work, and why are they needed?
The fact is that always being up-to-date with market news and significant moves is important, but good planning is even more important. When you have your own view on a particular market, but don’t have the time to constantly monitor prices manually, pending orders might be a good solution.
Unlike instant execution orders, where a trade is placed at the current market price, pending orders allow you to set orders that are opened once the price reaches a relevant level, chosen by you. There are four types of pending orders available within xStation 5, but we can group them to just two main types:
- Orders expecting to break a certain market level
- Orders expecting to bounce back from a certain market level
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Buy Stop
The Buy Stop order allows you to set a buy order above the current market price. This means that if the current market price is $20 and your Buy Stop is $22, a buy or 'long' position will be opened once the market reaches that price.
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Sell Stop
The Sell Stop order allows you to set a sell order below the current market price. So if the current market price is $20 and your Sell Stop price is $18, a sell or ‘short’ position will be opened once the market reaches that price.
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Buy Limit
The opposite of a buy stop, the Buy Limit order allows you to set a buy order below the current market price. This means that if the current market price is $20 and your Buy Limit price is $18, then once the market reaches the price level of $18, a buy position will be opened.
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Sell Limit
Finally, the Sell Limit order allows you to set a sell order above the current market price. So if the current market price is $20 and the set Sell Limit price is $22, then once the market reaches the price level of $22, a sell position will be opened on this market.
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Opening Pending Orders
You can open an order ticket from the Market Watch Window firstly by choosing the market you would like to trade on and then by pressing the 'Order ticket' button or by double-clicking on the name of the market. Once you do so, the order ticket will open and you will be able to select the 'Pending order' tab.
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Next, select the market level at which the pending order will be activated. You should also choose the size of the position based on the volume, contract value or margin. If necessary, you can set an expiration date. Once all these parameters are set, select the green or red button depending on whether you would like to go long or short.
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Trading from the Chart
Pending orders may also be placed directly from the chart that you are currently analysing.
You may do so by pressing the button found in the top left corner of the chart, as you can see on the image below.
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After doing so, move the mouse cursor on the chart so that you can select a level where the pending order will be opened. Once you have chosen the price level, you can also select Stop Loss or Take Profit orders above or below your level.
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After these levels are set, an order ticket window will appear with all the parameters that you’ve chosen. All you need to do now is choose the size of the position and place the order by selecting either the red or the green button, depending on the type of order you are placing.
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As you can see, pending orders are very powerful features of xStation 5. They are most useful when you're not able to constantly watch the market for your entry point, or if the price of an instrument changes quickly, and you don’t want to miss the opportunity.
This content has been created by XTB S.A. This service is provided by XTB S.A., with its registered office in Warsaw, at Prosta 67, 00-838 Warsaw, Poland, entered in the register of entrepreneurs of the National Court Register (Krajowy Rejestr Sądowy) conducted by District Court for the Capital City of Warsaw, XII Commercial Division of the National Court Register under KRS number 0000217580, REGON number 015803782 and Tax Identification Number (NIP) 527-24-43-955, with the fully paid up share capital in the amount of PLN 5.869.181,75. XTB S.A. conducts brokerage activities on the basis of the license granted by Polish Securities and Exchange Commission on 8th November 2005 No. DDM-M-4021-57-1/2005 and is supervised by Polish Supervision Authority.
Buy Stop
Sell Limit
Next, select the market level at which the pending order will be activated. You should also choose the size of the position based on the volume, contract value or margin. If necessary, you can set an expiration date. Once all these parameters are set, select the green or red button depending on whether you would like to go long or short.
After doing so, move the mouse cursor on the chart so that you can select a level where the pending order will be opened. Once you have chosen the price level, you can also select Stop Loss or Take Profit orders above or below your level.
As you can see, pending orders are very powerful features of xStation 5. They are most useful when you're not able to constantly watch the market for your entry point, or if the price of an instrument changes quickly, and you don’t want to miss the opportunity.
