When you hear someone say, “The stock is trading at ₹500,” that number is the quoted price. In simple terms, the quoted price is the most recent price at which a security (like a stock, bond, or commodity) is being offered or traded in the market. This price is what buyers are willing/ ready to pay and sellers are willing/ ready to accept at a given moment.
However, here is where it gets more interesting. The quoted price is not just one fixed number. It often includes both the bid price (what buyers are offering) and the ask price (what sellers are demanding). The difference between these two? That’s called the bid-ask spread, and it can tell you a lot about how actively the asset is being traded.
Now, irrespective of what you’re looking at (equities, commodities, or currencies), understanding the quoted price gives you a solid insight into market sentiment, liquidity, and potential trade opportunities. Let’s take a closer look.
How Does Quoted Price Work?
The quoted price reflects the current market consensus on what an asset is worth right now. But it isn’t pulled from thin air. It moves constantly, based on demand and supply in the market. In simple terms, it is not fixed. It fluctuates throughout the trading day based on the balance between buying and selling pressure.
At any given moment, buyers place bids (what they’re willing to pay), and sellers set ask prices (what they want to receive). The exchange or trading platform displays these as the bid-ask spread. The quoted price is typically the last traded price, or sometimes the midpoint between the bid and ask, depending on how the data is shown.
Let’s understand this with a quoted price example. Suppose a stock has a bid of ₹495 and an ask of ₹500. If a buyer agrees to pay ₹500, a trade is executed, and that ₹500 becomes the quoted price (until another trade shifts it again).
What affects this? Several factors, like trading volume, market news, investor sentiment, and broader economic indicators.
In highly liquid markets, the quoted price updates in real-time and reflects actual value closely. In less liquid markets, wider bid-ask spreads can make quoted prices slightly less reliable.
Bottom line? The quoted price is like a pulse check on the market’s mood at that exact moment.
In fact, in volatile markets, quoted prices can change multiple times per second. In contrast, in illiquid markets, the quoted price may remain static for minutes or even hours. This makes it a less reliable indicator of true value.
Additionally, for large orders, quoted prices don’t tell the whole story. A stock might be quoted at ₹100, but that price could be available only for 10 shares. If you place an order for 1000 shares, the price you get could be significantly higher due to slippage, the cost of moving through multiple price levels to fill your order.
Furthermore, quoted prices also differ slightly depending on the market type:
In exchanges (like NSE/BSE): prices are regulated, transparent, and updated in real-time.
In OTC (Over-the-counter) markets: quotes can be less transparent, negotiated, and may include hidden costs.
Pro Tip: Always check the volume and depth of the market along with the quoted price. That gives a clearer picture of liquidity and how realistic that quote is for your trade size.
Quoted Price and Traders
For traders, the quoted price isn’t just a number but the very starting point of every decision. It defines entry and exit timing, potential profit margins, and even trading psychology.
Here’s what is quoted price for traders and how does it play out:
For day traders, the quoted price helps them react to minute-by-minute price movements. A slight shift in the quote can signal a breakout, a reversal, or a scalp opportunity.
Swing traders use quoted prices to identify momentum, chart patterns, or price levels that align with technical indicators.
Long-term investors (while less reactive) still rely on quoted prices for optimal entry points, especially during volatile market dips or rallies.
However, quoted prices aren’t always actionable. A stock may be quoted at ₹200, but the actual trade execution might happen at ₹202 or ₹198 depending on:
Market liquidity
Slippage
Order size
Broker execution speed
For retail traders especially, understanding the spread between the bid and ask is extremely important. A tight spread means low transaction costs and high liquidity. A wide spread is one that could eat into your profits before the trade even begins.
Smart traders also know that quoted prices are often driven by emotions and herd behaviour. During panic selling or FOMO buying, quotes may spike irrationally. Learning to read why a quote is what it is, rather than just seeing the number, is a skill that separates experienced traders from beginners.
Bottom line? The quoted price is the visible part of a much deeper system. The wise trader doesn’t just react to it but tries to interpret it.