It is possible for an order to be executed at a price different from the one displayed on your screen.
This is not a technical error, but a standard feature of financial market mechanics and order execution technology.
Here is an overview of how order execution works.
Order execution takes time
When you place an order to open a trade, the request requires processing time. Although this takes only milliseconds (typically 50–100 ms), prices can change rapidly during fast-moving market conditions.
During this brief window, your order:
Travels from your device to the server.
Enters the execution queue.
Executes at the first available market price.
The price displayed on the platform is not instantaneous
The quotes shown on the platform travel from the server to your screen. By the time a price is displayed, it may be slightly delayed relative to the server. Consequently, the requested price may differ from the actual price available on the server at the moment of execution.
What is slippage?
Slippage occurs when an order is executed at a price different from the requested rate. Slippage can be either positive or negative, with an approximate probability of 50/50.
Slippage occurs more frequently during:
The end of the trading day (when liquidity decreases as market makers exit).
Public holidays (due to reduced overall trading volume).
Major news or economic announcements (which cause sharp price movements).
In these situations, low liquidity or high volatility can create price gaps, where the next available quote skips several points ahead of the previous one.
Example: NFP report and Stop Loss
Suppose you open a BUY trade on EUR/USD at 1.04000 with a Stop Loss set at 1.03900.
When the U.S. Non-Farm Payroll (NFP) report is released on the first Friday of the month, a sudden market movement causes the price to jump from 1.03990 down to 1.03800.
Because a price gap occurred and bypassed 1.03900 entirely, your Stop Loss triggers and executes the trade at the first available price after the gap: 1.03800. This outcome reflects actual market conditions during high-impact economic events.
Market Execution technology
Libertex utilizes Market Execution technology:
Your order volume is automatically matched with liquidity provider pools.
The system calculates the best available average price for the total order size.
Trade size correlation: Larger trade volumes require more liquidity, which increases the likelihood of price adjustments.
How to minimize slippage
While slippage cannot be completely eliminated during periods of high volatility or low liquidity, its frequency can be reduced:
Trade with smaller order volumes.
Avoid opening trades during major economic announcements.
Consult the Economic Calendar on the platform to monitor scheduled market events.
Consider that other market orders are processed simultaneously, which dynamically influences liquidity and execution speed.
Summary
Order execution at a different price is a normal aspect of real-time trading.
Slippage occurs naturally due to market volatility, price gaps, and available liquidity.
Managing trade size and avoiding news releases can help reduce execution variance.
If you have additional questions regarding a specific order, please contact our Support Team for assistance.