Your stop loss (S/L) and take profit (T/P) orders activate only when the market price hits the set level: for buy positions, the bid price triggers them; for sell positions, the ask price does. MT5 charts show only bid prices, so for sell orders, the ask price (bid plus spread) may not have reached the target even if the chart price appears to have, delaying order execution.
Trigger price by position type
| Position type | Trigger price |
|---|---|
| Buy position | Bid price |
| Sell position | Ask price |
Why the chart may look different
MT5 charts usually display the bid price by default. The ask price is the bid price plus the spread. This means that for sell positions, the chart may appear to have reached your target level, but the actual ask price may not have reached the required level.
Important notes
- The bid and ask price difference may affect whether S/L or T/P is triggered.
- The chart price may not always reflect the trigger price for all order types.
- Spread changes may affect the price needed to activate an order.