Can a limit order move Forex market?

Can a limit order have a direct effect on a pair? Please consider low to high-volume positions.
Now if so, do you think that it can also effect the market before it is executed?
Imagine your a HFT trader and you have limit orders with 5-20 lot size positions. This question has been bugging me for quite some time now.

Yes
If enough people put enough put orders at a level and price reaches it, the market will go up

The same thing also happens with stop losses. If everyone is selling because they think price is going to go downward but instead starts going upwards and hits their stop losses, the market may start going upwards because their exit orders are going to be buys

I don’t think limit orders can affect a pair before they’re filled, at least not directly

1 Like

Thanks for the reply.

It makes so much sense now. But it’s very risky to count on such a thing or even if you try to put limit orders at a certain price instead of stop-loss in order to save your trade. Again, I’m talking about high volume positions. Of course that requires a lot of money to support your trades but still.

IMO no retail trader would be affected by any limit order move because we are small fry in the FX market.

2 Likes

No. A limit order (or any order!) with a forex broker is not even IN any market, so how could it move any market?

3 Likes

Yes, I think it can influence a currency pair, especially in a low-volume market. Plus, as other traders react to the visible order sizes and adjust their strategies accordingly, it can affect the market before execution.

1 Like

As the post above yours correctly mentions, it isn’t IN a market at all! And there’s no way of measuring spot forex/CFD volume anyway!!

Think about it: how on Earth could a private bet between two parties, which doesn’t exist anywhere apart from on the software/computers of each, influence the global currency markets?! :face_exhaling: :roll_eyes: :sweat_smile:

4 Likes

The only thing that moves the fx market are market orders.

What influences those orders is a different story.

Many times we see news that should cause a sell on GBP (for example) yet price goes North - only to rebound at a recent high & then go South.

Happens that at that high there were sell orders outweighing buys (thus a high) - so are the unfilled sells still there - yep, why pull on sell news - especially if anticipated.

3 Likes

Thank you! Just hoping those learning somehow know to read your posts rather than others above. :grimacing:

4 Likes

Hmm, I see your point! But even if we can’t measure volume like in traditional markets, big visible limit orders might still signal shifts to smaller players, influencing their decisions. It’s like a ripple effect—not a wave, but still something, right? :sweat_smile:

That’s an effect I wasn’t too sure if it could be possible tbh.

So basically we are looking at a chain of causes and effects, which are not direct but are related.

Wait a minute. If you put a bet on a horse, does that make him run faster?

2 Likes

Ok they are not IN the market but if visible they will effect the FLOW of the market.

That’s the worse example ever! I will explain what I’m saying by using your own example but in a correct way. If you know that a lot of people are going to bet on a certain horse, it can effect choice of bet. Therefore, pending orders might effect the flow of market. when executed it could be a direct effect!

Exactly my point. The bets laid only affect the bet you might lay, not the race.

2 Likes

No, sorry but this just isn’t right, Ava. I’m afraid you’re missing the point. :expressionless:

1 Like

Yes it’s called spoofing and this type of manipulation is still widespread in some crypto and commodity markets. However order book should be available for traders to make this trick feasible. However for a very large markets it is barely possible due to high liquidity and is unlikely to cause severe price changes, maybe 2-3 pips not more and only in certain situations.

That’s when it’s done on an exchange.

The point several people are missing here is that spot forex/CFD’s don’t have an exchange.

So not only can a limit order not move the price, but it can’t influence anyone else to move the price either.

Apparently not.

Frustrating, but that’s the problem, sometimes, in a beginners’ forum. People are trying to be helpful, I’m sure, but their knowledge of the relevant basics may leave rather a lot to be desired. :sweat_smile:

1 Like

The misinformation itself isn’t really the problem, here.

You get some of that in all forums.

The problem is that some people don’t want to be seen to be mistaken, so however patiently and tactfully and logically and repeatedly you explain the reality, and correct the misinformation, rather than being willing to learn anything, however deluded they are they’ll actually try to argue with you about it!

It really does make it terribly difficult to help or even inform anyone, here. :face_with_spiral_eyes:

2 Likes