Your Stop Loss (SL) and Take Profit (TP) orders are triggered based on the applicable Bid or Ask price, depending on whether you hold a Buy or Sell position. Since trading charts typically display Bid prices, the price shown on your chart may differ from the price used to trigger your SL or TP.
Which price is used to trigger my stop loss or take profit?
The applicable trigger price depends on your position direction:
Position Type |
Opening Price |
Closing Price |
SL/TP Trigger Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Buy (Long) |
Ask |
Bid |
Bid |
Sell (Short) |
Bid |
Ask |
Ask |
- Buy positions: Your SL or TP is triggered when the Bid price reaches the specified level.
- Sell positions: Your SL or TP is triggered when the Ask price reaches the specified level.
Why does my chart price differ from my stop loss or take profit?
Most trading charts display the Bid price by default, while Sell positions are closed using the Ask price.
For example, assume you have a Sell position with a Stop Loss at 1.1050:
Price Type |
Market Price |
|---|---|
Bid Price |
1.1048 |
Ask Price |
1.105 |
Stop Loss Level |
1.105 |
In this example, your Stop Loss is triggered because the Ask price reaches 1.1050, even though the Bid price displayed on your chart is only 1.1048.
This difference is caused by the spread between the Bid and Ask prices.
How can I display the ask price on my trading chart?
You can enable the Ask price line in MetaTrader 4 (MT4) or MetaTrader 5 (MT5) to better understand the prices used to trigger Sell positions.
On MetaTrader 4 (MT4) Desktop:
- Right-click the trading chart and select Properties.
- Open the Common tab.
- Enable Show Ask line.
- Click OK.
On MetaTrader 5 (MT5) Desktop:
- Right-click the trading chart and select Properties.
- Open the "Show" tab.
- Enable Show Ask price line.
- Click OK.
What should I check when reviewing my stop loss or take profit?
- Identify your position direction: Buy positions use Bid prices, while Sell positions use Ask prices for closing.
- Check the spread: The difference between Bid and Ask prices may widen during volatile market conditions.
- Review the applicable market price: Do not rely solely on the Bid price displayed on your chart when reviewing Sell positions.
If your SL or TP did not trigger as expected, refer to "Why Didn't My Stop Loss or Take Profit Trigger?" for additional troubleshooting steps.
Please note that reaching the specified trigger price does not guarantee execution at that exact price. Execution remains subject to applicable order conditions, market availability and execution rules.
