MetaTrader4 User Guide
Pending Orders
A Pending order is an instruction to open a position when the current price reaches the order level.
There are four types of pending orders:
- Buy Stop - an order to open a Buy position at a price higher than the price at the moment of placing the order.
- Sell Stop - an order to open a Sell position at a price lower than the price at the moment of placing the order.
- Buy Limit - an order to open a Buy position at a lower price than the price at the moment of placing the order.
- Sell Limit - an order to open a Sell position at a price higher than the price at the moment of placing the order.
Types of pending orders
In order to place a Pending Order, open the "Order" window by any way described below:
- right click on the "Market Watch"window or on the "Trade" tab of the "Terminal" window and select New order from the context menu; or
- press the F9 button; or
- use the Tools -> New order menu sequence; or
- right-click on the chart window and select Trading -> New order from the context menu; or
- double-click on the currency pair in the "Market Watch" window.
Then choose the Pending order item from the drop down list:
How to place pending order
The following options may also be changed in this window:
- Symbol - currency pair or CFD
- Volume - transaction size in lots
- Stop Loss - Stop Loss order level which will be activated once the pending order has been executed
- Take Profit - Take Profit order level that will be activated once the pending order has been executed
- Comment - your comments for the pending order
- Type - the type of pending order: Buy Stop, Buy Limit, Sell Stop, Sell Limit
- At price - pending order level
- Expiry - if the box has not been checked the order is valid up to the time when you cancel it or when it is executed. If the box is checked the order is valid up to the moment specified in the box
Once the Place order button is pressed, the instruction is sent directly to the Alpari (UK)'s Trading Desk. Once Alpari (UK) confirms the order, it appears in the ‘Trade’ tab of the ‘Terminal’ window
In order to modify or delete a pending order highlight it in the ‘Terminal’ window, then right click to produce the context menu:
The context menu of the Trade tab of the Terminal window
Select Modify or Delete order. Press the Modify button or the Delete button depending on your choice in the dialog window:
How to modify or delete pending order
Execution of pending orders:
- A Buy Limit order is executed if the Ask price in the quotes flow becomes equal or lower than the order level.
- A Sell Limit order is executed if the Bid price in the quotes flow becomes equal or higher than the order level.
- A Buy Stop order is executed if the Ask price in the quotes flow becomes equal or higher than the order level.
- A Sell Stop order is executed if the Bid price in the quotes flow becomes equal or lower than the order level.
