Market Order

A market order is an instruction to buy or sell immediately at the best available price. There's no price specification — you're telling your broker "execute this now, at whatever the current price is." Market orders guarantee execution but not price.

In normal market conditions with good liquidity, a market order fills at or very close to the price you see on your screen. During volatile moments — news releases, market opens, or thin liquidity periods — the executed price can differ from what you saw. This difference is slippage, and it can be positive (better price) or negative (worse price).

Market orders are the default choice for traders who prioritize getting into or out of the market immediately. If you need to close a losing position right now, a market order is the way to do it. For planned entries where precise price matters, limit orders give you better control. Many strategies use a combination: limit orders for entries and market orders for emergency exits.