A stop order automatically converts into a market order when a predetermined price is reached (this is referred to as the “stop price”). At that point, the ordinary rules of market orders apply; the order is guaranteed to be executed, you simply don’t know the price – it may be higher or lower than the current price reported on the ticker symbol.
Contrast that to a stop limit order, which automatically converts into a limit order (not a market order) when the stop price is reached. As discussed earlier in this tutorial, your order may or may not be executed depending upon the price movement of the underlying security.
Sell Short and Buy to Cover Orders
As you learnt in The Basics of Shorting Stock, selling short is an extremely speculative practice that can, theoretically, lead to unlimited losses.Here’s how it works: You think that Company ABC is grossly overvalued. Management is terrible, financial condition is deteriorating, the sales outlook is pitiful, and, you believe, the stock price does not fully reflect these apparent realities. You are convinced the stock is going to fall substantially from its current price of $10 per share.
