Depth

Dictionary Says

Definition of 'Depth'

The ability of a security to absorb buy and sell orders without the stock price dramatically moving in either direction.
Investopedia Says

Investopedia explains 'Depth'

Securities with good depth will be relatively liquid, and large orders will not affect price significantly. On the other hand, securities with poor depth are more likely to have their price affected by large orders to buy and sell.

To gauge the depth of a market, investors can search for the different prices and sizes (bid and ask sizes) of orders accumulating below and above the market bid and ask prices.

Related Definitions

  • 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 ...
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  • Ask Size

    The amount of a security that a market maker is offering to sell at the ask price. The higher the ask size, the more supply there is that people want to sell. When a buyer seeks to ...
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  • Bid

    1. An offer made by an investor, a trader or a dealer to buy a security. The bid will stipulate both the price at which the buyer is willing to purchase the security and the quantity to ...
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    • Bid Size

      The number of shares being offered for purchase at a specified bid price, that a buyer is willing to purchase at that bid price. For example, if an investor wants to buy 200 shares of ...
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    • Liquidity

      1. The degree to which an asset or security can be bought or sold in the market without affecting the asset's price. Liquidity is characterized by a high level of trading activity. ...
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    • Liquidity Risk

      The risk stemming from the lack of marketability of an investment that cannot be bought or sold quickly enough to prevent or minimize a loss.
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    • Price Continuity

      A characteristic of a liquid market where the price movements between transactions are relatively small. Each trade results in minimal price changes, as if the proceeding price continued ...
      Read More »

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