Financial Spread Betting
Types of Order

This section details the various order types available.

Orders can be placed online and by telephone and it is possible to leave orders to be executed once your price condition has been met. It is important to understand exactly what conditions affect the execution of orders (see “Important information regarding orders” and/or contact the Customer Services Team). Orders broadly fall into two categories; Limit orders and Stop orders.
 
 
 
Limit orders
 
Limit orders are orders which are placed at a better price to you than the prevailing price. For example, an order to buy at a price below the current price or sell at a price above the current price. Unless attached to an open position, they will be active unless executed or removed.
 

 
Stop orders
 
These are orders which are placed at a worse price than the prevailing price. For example, an order to buy at a higher price than the current price or sell at a lower price than the current price. Stop orders are often used to limit possible losses known as Stop Loss orders which are attached to an open position but can be used to open new positions at market points which may see a reversal of recent trends. Unless attached to an open position, they will be active unless executed or removed.
 

 
Stop Loss orders
 
These are orders which are attached to open positions. If the order is executed, it will close all or part of the open position (crystallise a loss). If the open position is closed, the Stop Loss order is automatically cancelled.
 

 
Linked Limit order
 
As the name suggests, these are Limit orders specifically attached to open positions. If the order is executed it will close all or part of the open position (crystallise a profit). If the open position is closed, the Linked Limit order is automatically cancelled.
 

 
One Cancels the Other order
 
OCO orders (One Cancels the Other) allow you to link a Stop Loss order and a Limit order to an open position. This is generally used to control possible losses with the Stop Loss order and take possible profits with the limit order. If one of the orders is executed, the open position is closed and the remaining order is automatically cancelled. OCO orders can also be used to link two opening orders.
 

 
Guaranteed Stop Loss orders
 
These are Stop Loss orders where the agreed level will be the price at which the order is executed regardless of any gapping (see “Important information regarding orders”) in the market or TD Waterhouse Financial Spread Betting trading hours. An additional spread or charge (Limited Risk Premium) is charged (on opening the bet) in connection with a Guaranteed Stop Loss order.
 

 
Important information regarding orders
 
Orders are monitored and executed on the basis of the TD Waterhouse Financial Spread Betting quote (known as “our quote”), e.g. a Stop Sell order would be triggered for execution when our bid price meets the trigger price. We will then execute at the next price available in the underlying instrument.
 
For reasons as outlined, the execution price of an order may be different to the specified trigger level. This is known as “gapping” in the professional markets and is a risk which falls on the customer. Generally, this does not occur or the price difference is small, however there are circumstances when the execution price may be quite different to the specified level as follows;
 
(i) If the underlying instrument is experiencing a period of very poor liquidity or high volatility. This can occur particularly around the release of key market statistics or company announcements.
 
(ii) Orders are only monitored and executed during TD Waterhouse Financial Spread Betting
market trading hours (not necessarily underlying market trading hours). In the case of markets which continue to operate outside of TD Waterhouse Financial Spread Betting hours we will execute any triggered orders at the first available price in our opening hours, which may be substantially different to the order level. However, if the market has moved beyond the trigger level and returned by the time that TD Waterhouse Financial Spread Betting re-opens, the order will not be executed.
 
Orders that are left on the basis of “Our Quote” on markets which TD Waterhouse Financial Spread Betting quote as Grey Markets (i.e. those we quote outside of the hours of the underlying market) will be executed if the out-of-hours price reaches your order trigger level. The TD Waterhouse Financial Spread Betting price for such Grey Markets is determined by TD Waterhouse Financial Spread Betting in the light of prevailing, related markets (e.g. the US markets may determine the Grey Market FTSE price).
 
Orders which are left to open a position are subject to normal credit procedures. If an order to open were to result in additional margin being required, the trade may not be opened at the absolute discretion of TD Waterhouse Financial Spread Betting. Equally Stop Loss orders may not be moved, at the absolute discretion of TD Waterhouse Financial Spread Betting, if it were to result in a margin call.
 
Obviously this section does not detail every aspect of Financial Spread Betting with TD Waterhouse Financial Spread Betting. For full information, please refer to our Market Information Sheets and Terms of Service.