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Why isn't the order getting executed even though it has been placed successfully?

The order may not be getting executed despite being successfully placed due to certain circumstances. In situations where there is extremely negative news about the company, the stock prices can rapidly decline. Consequently, the stock continuously hits lower circuit limits on a daily basis, resulting in a lack of new buyers willing to purchase these shares. This occurrence is commonly observed in penny stocks that lack liquidity. To learn more about circuit limits, see What are circuit limits or price bands?

Similarly, when there is significant buying pressure and demand for a particular stock, there can be numerous bids but a shortage of sellers willing to trade these shares. As a result, the execution of the order may be delayed or prevented altogether.

When placing an order during normal market hours, order matching on the exchange follows a price-time priority system, meaning orders are executed on a "first come, first serve" basis, similar to a queue system. If there are prior orders placed by other individuals, the order will only be executed once those preceding orders are filled.

To potentially move ahead in the queue, there are a few options available:

  1. Place an After Market Order (AMO) - This can be a Limit or Market order, and it is advisable to do so after 3:45 PM. Market orders generally have a higher chance of being filled. To learn more about AMO, see What is an AMO and how to place it?
  2. Place a market or limit order during the pre-market session, which begins at 9:00 AM. To learn more about pre-market sessions, see What are pre-market and post-market sessions and orders in NSE and BSE?

Placing a pre-market order typically has a better chance of being executed compared to an AMO. However, choosing an AMO offers more convenience as it allows orders to be placed anytime between 3:45 PM to 8:57 AM for NSE and 3:45 PM to 8:59 AM for BSE without waiting for the pre-market timings.

Did you know? Despite placing an AMO or pre-market order, there is no assurance that the order will be executed. This applies universally to all brokers.