Sell Plus

What is Sell Plus?

Sell plus is a term that refers to a type of stock transaction. In market trading, a sell plus is when an investor orders their broker or brokerage firm to sell a specific amount of stock at a set price that is higher than the stock’s current value.

How Sell Plus Works

Sell plus is when an investor orders a sale of a quantity of stock at a price that is above the current market price. Sell plus is a kind of order. An order itself refers to the instructions an investor gives to the party responsible for buying and selling the investor's securities on their behalf. Sell plus orders only occur when a stock is on the rise and then the price is reached. In this sense, sell plus orders are similar to limit orders.

From the Investor to the Broker: Buying and Selling Orders 

There are countless exchanges and securities to trade, but investors most commonly buy and trade on the secondary market. It is compulsory for all investors, both individuals and corporations, to trade through brokers--hence the necessity of placing orders. An investor must place an order with their broker in order to buy or sell stocks and securities.

There are various categories of orders that help investors buy and sell at their desired price and time. Setting an order as to when and at what price an investor would like to buy or sell a security with their broker or brokerage firm affects an investor’s profit or loss.

A limit order is the most similar to a sell plus order, and is when an investor instructs their broker to purchase shares below an agreed upon price. Investors place limit orders to make sure they only pay a specific price for a security. Unlike market orders, which a broker executes at the best price at the time, limit orders stay in effect until the broker purchases the security, or the order expires or is canceled.

One of the most common orders is a market order, which is when the trade instructions tell the broker to complete the order as soon as possible without specifying a price. These orders typically must be completed by the end of the day.

Example of a Sell Plus Order

For example, shares of Corporation A investments have a last traded price of $10. A sell plus order in this case would be any sell order that has a price greater than $10. If the investor instructs their broker to sell their shares of Corporation A at a price of $15 a share it is a sell plus order. The broker will only sell the investor’s shares if the market price of Corporation A rises to $15 a share.