The Difference Between Order, Trade and Position

[Arya Stark]

The difference between order, trade and position
Both order and trade are actions. Position is not an action, but a situation.

Order – a request to your broker or platform to execute a trade for you.

Trade – the actual act of buying or selling an asset once the order is executed.

Position – the situation of holding an asset. For example, if you are long on EURUSD and short on USDCAD, you have two positions. Your risk and return are now combined across these two assets. Let’s say your Forex account is in USD. You sold USD to buy EUR, and also sold USD to buy CAD. So you are now holding two assets: EUR and CAD. Together, this forms part of your portfolio, and you should know the risk and projected return of that portfolio.

 

[Thaddeus Finch]

Thank you for differentiating them.

 

[MoonTrekkerZ]

An order is a request to buy or sell an asset. A trade happens when that order is executed. A position is the amount of an asset a trader currently holds, either long or short. Understanding these distinctions helps traders manage risk and track their market activity effectively.

 

[rmufti68]

I usually used limit order for my trades however can do market executions when the markets tends to go in opposite direction or the volatility is expected.

 

[Magnolia_York]

The difference between order, trade and position
Both order and trade are actions. Position is not an action, but a situation.

Order – a request to your broker or platform to execute a trade for you.

Trade – the actual act of buying or selling an asset once the order is executed.

Position – the situation of holding an asset. For example, if you are long on EURUSD and short on USDCAD, you have two positions. Your risk and return are now combined across these two assets. Let’s say your Forex account is in USD. You sold USD to buy EUR, and also sold USD to buy CAD. So you are now holding two assets: EUR and CAD. Together, this forms part of your portfolio, and you should know the risk and projected return of that portfolio.

Most people don't know these.