Why didn't my stop loss or take profit trigger?
Your Stop Loss or Take Profit may not trigger because the price used to close your position has not reached the selected level, even if the chart appears to have touched it. Charts window display the Bid price, while sell positions close using the Ask price.
Which price triggers my stop loss or take profit?
The trigger price depends on your position’s direction:
| Position | Opening Price | Price Used to Trigger Stop Loss and Take Profit |
| Buy | Ask | Bid |
| Sell | Bid | Ask |
For a sell position closure:
- Take Profit: The Ask price must fall to or below your selected level. The Bid line touching that level is not enough.
- Stop Loss: The Ask price must rise to or above your selected level. It may trigger while the chart’s Bid price is still below that level.
For a buy position closure, both levels are checked against the Bid price.
Can a wider spread affect whether my level is reached?
Yes. The spread is the difference between the Ask and Bid prices.
- Wider spread: The Ask price sits further above the Bid price.
- Sell Take Profit: The Bid price may reach your target while the Ask price remains above it, so the position stays open.
- Sell Stop Loss: The Ask price may reach your stop level even though the Bid chart has not.
Spreads may widen around major news releases, market openings, and periods of reduced liquidity.
What happens if the market gaps beyond my level?
A market gap occurs when prices move between levels without quotes being available at the prices in between.
- Triggering: The relevant Bid or Ask price may move beyond your selected level.
- Execution: Reaching the trigger level does not guarantee execution at that exact price.
- Final price: The execution price depends on available market prices and the applicable order-execution rules.
A position closing at a different price does not necessarily mean its Stop Loss or Take Profit failed to trigger.
How can I display the ask price?
On MetaTrader 4 (MT4) or MetaTrader 5 (MT5) desktop:
- Right-click the chart and select Properties.
- Enable Show Ask line or Show Ask price line, depending on your platform.
- Select OK.
The Ask line shows the current Ask price. It does not add historical Ask-price candles to the chart.
Was my stop loss or take profit successfully saved?
- Check your open position’s Stop Loss and Take Profit values to confirm that the intended levels were saved successfully.
- A missing chart line alone does not confirm that the level is missing.
What should I provide if the level still appears not to have triggered?
Contact PU Prime Customer Support with:
- Your trading account number.
- The affected order or position number.
- The saved Stop Loss or Take Profit level.
- The date and time, including the time zone.
- Relevant screenshots and platform journal records.
These details help the team review the relevant quotes, order-modification records and execution records.
