Ask

Dictionary Says

Definition of 'Ask'

The price a seller is willing to accept for a security, also known as the offer price. Along with the price, the ask quote will generally also stipulate the amount of the security willing to be sold at that price.

Sometimes called "the ask."
Investopedia Says

Investopedia explains 'Ask'

This is the opposite of bid, which is the price a buyer is willing to pay for a security, and the ask will always be higher than the bid. The terms "bid" and "ask" are used in nearly every financial market in the world covering stocks, bonds, currency and derivatives. An example of an ask in the stock market would be $5.24 x 1,000 which means that someone is offering to sell 1,000 shares for $5.24.

Articles Of Interest

  1. Understanding Order Execution

    Find out the various ways in which a broker can fill an order, which can affect costs.
  2. Market Makers Vs. Electronic Communications Networks

    Learn the pros and cons of trading forex through these two types of brokers.
  3. How To Place Orders With A Forex Broker

    Learn how to set each type of stop and limit when trading currencies.
  4. The Basics Of Trading A Stock

    Taking control of your portfolio means knowing what orders to use when buying or selling stocks.
  5. What do the "BxA" numbers on my brokerage's trading screen mean?

    The letters 'B' and 'A' in the notation BxA refer to bid and ask, respectively. When you look at online stock quote data, some sources will provide you with a feed of the bid and ask outstanding ...
  6. What is the difference between a quote driven market and an order driven one?

    The difference between these two market systems lies in what is displayed in the market in terms of orders and bid and ask prices. The order driven market displays all of the bids and asks, while ...
  7. What are the determinants of a stock's bid-ask spread?

    Stock exchanges are set up to assist brokers and other specialists in coordinating bid and ask prices. The bid price is the amount that a buyer is willing to pay for a particular security; the ...
  8. What do the numbers that follow the bid and ask numbers in stock quotes represent?

    When looking at stock quotes, there are numbers following the bid and ask prices for a particular stock. These numbers usually are shown in brackets, and they represent the number of shares, ...
  9. Why are the bid and ask quotes usually so far away from each other in after-hours trading?

    After-hours trading is defined as the exchange of securities outside of an exchange's specified regular trading hours (usually 9:30am to 4pm EST). After-hours trading occurs through an electronic ...
  10. Stock Basics Tutorial

    If you're new to the stock market and want the basics, this is the tutorial for you!
comments powered by Disqus
Marketplace
Hot Definitions
  1. Yield Elbow

    The point on the yield curve indicating the year in which the economy's highest interest rates occur. The yield elbow is the peak of the yield curve, signifying where the highest interest rates occurred.
  2. Xenocurrency

    A currency that trades in markets outside of its domestic borders.
  3. Wanton Disregard

    A standard of severe negligence. Wanton disregard is a very serious accusation that indicates that a person behaved extremely recklessly.
  4. Ultra ETF

    A class of exchange-traded funds (ETF) that employs leverage in an effort to achieve double the return of a set benchmark.
  5. Toehold Purchase

    A purchase of less than 5% of a target company's outstanding stockmade by an acquiring company. A toehold purchase of just under 5%, while not a significant stake in a firm, allows the shareholders a "toe-holds" grip on the company and its decision making.
  6. Samurai Bond

    A yen-denominated bond issued in Tokyo by a non-Japanese company and subject to Japanese regulations.
Trading Center
http://sp.fastclick.net/ad/tr/10858-64082-15546-0?mpt=f6f00f28e4798acb8424b0b9e6dad8af