What is Slippage in Trading?

Introduction

Depending on how it turns out, slippage can either be an unanticipated benefit or an unpleasant surprise. The discrepancy between a trade's estimated price and its execution price is known as slippage. Although slippage can happen at any time, it is more common when market orders are used during times of increased volatility. It can also happen when a big order is placed, but not enough trades are made at the selected price to keep the bid/ask spread at its present level.

The term slippage in financial trading describes the discrepancy between the projected price of a trade and the actual price at which it is performed. This phenomenon happens when big orders are placed when there isn't enough purchasing interest in an asset to sustain the predicted transaction price, or when market orders are placed during times of high volatility.

The financial markets move at a rapid pace, making it possible for slippage to happen when there is a lag between when an order is placed and when it is fulfilled. Both stock and forex traders use this word, and although their definitions are identical, it happens at various periods for each of these financial trading platforms.

How Does Slippage Work?

Since slippage is defined as any difference between the expected execution price and the actual execution price, it does not indicate a positive or negative movement. The security is bought or sold at the best price provided by an exchange or other market maker when an order is fulfilled. This may yield outcomes that are less beneficial than the planned execution price, equal to, or more favourable than that. There are three possible outcomes for the final execution price: positive slippage, no slippage, or negative slippage compared to the intended execution price.

Because market prices can move quickly, slippage can happen while a trade is being ordered and not yet completed. Although meanings vary, the word is used in a variety of market contexts. However, each venue tends to experience slippage under various conditions.

Although a limit order stops negative slippage, there is always a chance that the trade won't be performed if the price doesn't reach the limit. This danger increases in faster-moving market conditions, which might severely curtail the length of time it takes to execute a trade at the desired price.

Why Slippage Occurs

Trading forex online can lead to slippage if the limit order is not executed with the trade order or if the stop loss rate is not as advantageous as the original order. In times of extreme volatility, when it is difficult to execute trade orders at the anticipated price—perhaps as a result of news that moves the market—slippage happens. Without a limit order to end the trade at a specific price, forex traders will usually execute trades at the asset's next best price.

When trading stocks, slippage happens when the spread changes. The spread between an assets ask and bid prices is its market value. It is possible for a trader to get a worse deal than they bargained for when they execute a market order. In long trades, the ask price can be high, while in short trades, the bid price could be low, leading to slippage. Traders in the stock market can protect themselves from slippage in times of market volatility by only placing market orders when absolutely essential.

Types of slippage

Sorted according to the order type or the time of slippage, there are several sorts of slippage.

• When an asset's price changes due to increased volatility while a market order is being executed, this is called market-order slippage.
• Limit-order slippage is when unexpected price changes prevent the purchase or sale of a security at the price stated in the order, this is known as slippage.
• Slippage of stop-loss and take-profit orders happens when the market order is being executed but the price movements are too rapid to activate the orders.
• The term "weekend slippage" refers to a situation in which a trader holds a position over the weekend while the markets are closed and then sees a large price movement when the markets reopen to reflect events that happened during that period.

Slippage and the Forex Market

When a market order or stop loss closes a position at a rate different from what was specified in the order, this is called slippage in forex. In order to limit possible losses, many traders and investors utilise stop-loss orders. If you want to protect yourself from losing too much money in volatile or consolidating markets, another strategy is to employ option contracts.

When market liquidity is poor or volatility is strong, slippage is common. A large lag time exists between the placement and execution of an order in markets with low liquidity due to the small number of players. Even faster than placing an order, the price of an item can rise or fall in the unpredictable marketplaces. There may be a change in the asset's price during that time, leading to slippage.

Due to the low volatility and large liquidity associated with highly popular currency pairs, slippage is more common in less popular pairs, such AUD/JPY, when trading forex. An investor chooses to start a position on the extremely volatile AUD/USD currency pair, for instance, at the current reported price of $0.6025. Nevertheless, during the period between the order's submission and execution, the price might have risen to $0.6040. Since the investor is trading at a higher price than expected, a slippage will occur.

Major events, such as announcements on interest rates and monetary policy, a company's earnings report, or changes in management roles, are common times for slippage to occur. Because of the events, market volatility has increased, which means that investors are more likely to suffer slippage.

Slippage occurs when investors maintain investments after markets close and the market reopens. This occurs because any announcement or news event that may have occurred during the market's closure has the potential to affect prices.

Every type of asset is susceptible to slippage. Due to the more unpredictable and, at times, less liquid nature of the digital currency market, this may be the case with crypto more frequently.

How to Reduce the Impact of Slippage

Although there are methods to lessen or eliminate the effects of slippage, it is inevitable in the investing world. When markets are unstable or there isn't enough liquidity, slippage is more likely to happen; hence, time and the securities you're trading can be crucial factors.

Trade in calm moments

The likelihood of being taken off guard by slippage decreases as market volatility increases. To reduce the likelihood of slippage, it is advisable to avoid investing around significant economic announcements or updates that pertain to a security you intend to trade, including earnings reports.

Place limit orders

Market orders are for the fastest possible execution of transactions, whereas limit orders will only go through at a certain price or better. Avoid negative slippage by placing a limit order. The possibility that the order will be ignored is another consideration.

Because they are impervious to slippage, guaranteed stops ensure that your trade will always close at the precise level you want. They are the most effective strategy to mitigate the impact of a market downturn because of this very reason. Be advised that guaranteed stops, in contrast to other types of stops, will result in a premium upon activation.

While entering a trade or trying to cash out a winning transaction, limits can assist reduce the likelihood of slippage.

Not trading around major economic events

Around huge, market-moving news events, you can usually expect to see the most significant slippage. If you want to know how an asset is going to move and how to avoid the extremely volatile periods around big news events, then you should keep an eye on the economic calendar for announcements about that asset.

Find out how your provider treats slippage

While opening or closing a position, some providers will proceed with the execution even if the price moves against you. There are service providers who will put a margin of error on either side of the price you ask for. They will execute your order at the level you requested if the market remains within this range when they receive it. Nonetheless, two outcomes are possible in the event that the price deviates from this range:

1. The company can guarantee that you will receive the best price if the market changes. You would get the extra profit, for instance, if the price drops to a more favourable level before a trade can be closed.
2. The provider will reject your order and request a resubmission at the current level if the price goes over their tolerance.

Day traders should refrain from placing market orders on scheduled financial news events, such as FOMC statements or earnings announcements, because these events can have a significant impact on the market. It could be challenging to enter or exit trades at the trader's preferred price, despite the allure of the subsequent large movements. If a trader has already entered a position when the news is announced, they may experience stop loss slippage and a significantly larger amount of risk than they had anticipated.

Pros and Cons of Slippage

Conclusion

Positive slippage has its advantage since it indicates that you received a better deal than anticipated. Investing involves a risk called slippage, which occurs when the completed price of a deal differs from the requested price. The difference between bid and ask spreads might affect how long it takes to complete an order. This can happen in many types of markets, such as stocks, bonds, currencies, and futures, and it tends to happen more frequently in volatile or less liquid markets.

Generally speaking, trading in markets with high liquidity and low price volatility will reduce slippage. Additionally, it may benefit investors. Negative or positive slippage is possible. Negative slippage denotes the opposite of positive slippage, which indicates the investor receiving a lower price than anticipated.

When a market shifts abruptly in the little period of time between placing an order and having it executed by a broker or on an exchange, it's known as slippage.