Fixed price order
for the same day means that an exchange member is asked to buy or sell
a given number of lots (contracts) for a particular month at a set price, for
instance, two lots of coffee for December at US$ 0.62/lb. The contract must be
completed during the day on which the order is given. If possible, the broker
will buy (sell) at a lower (higher) price but never at a higher (lower) price.
This ensures that the client will get the desired price if a contract is made,
but they run the risk of not having a contract made at all if the floor trader
cannot execute the order on that day.
Fixed price, open order is a similar order, except
that the instructions stand for an indefinite period of time until the order is
satisfied or cancelled by the client. This type of order is popularly known as
'good till cancelled' (GTC).
Market
order is an order that gives the broker more flexibility, and allows
him to make a contract for the best possible price available at the time.
Different orders are often made, subject to certain
conditions. For example, a broker may be instructed to make a contract if the
price reaches a certain level. Orders that are conditional on specific terms set
by the client can also be made. Examples of such orders are: those to be carried
out only at the opening or closing of the market; or those to be carried out
within a certain period of time. (Orders have to queue at the opening and
closing of the market and are therefore not all filled at the same price,
particularly when trading volume is high in an active market. If one stipulates
a price then an order may not be executed if that price is not touched, or is
exceeded.)
Market orders and fixed price orders for the same
day are the most common but orders are also made to suit the requirements of
clients. Clients who follow exchange movements closely frequently revise their
orders in response to changing market conditions. Those less involved in hourly
market movements usually place open orders, or orders subject to certain
conditions. For example, a stop-loss order - which is triggered into action as
soon as a predetermined price level is reached - limits the client's losses
relative to the level at which the order is executed. Placing more general
conditions on the order gives the broker greater flexibility to react to changes
in the market and leaves the final decision to them.