Immediacy

Definition

Immediacy in plain English

Immediacy is really just about speed: if you want to buy or sell something right NOW, can you? Some things (like popular stocks) can be traded instantly because there's always someone ready to take the other side; others make you wait around for a willing partner. Think of trying to sell concert tickets — for a sold-out show you can unload them in seconds, but for a random Tuesday game you might wait days. That waiting-or-not is immediacy, and it's one of the three big things that make a market "liquid" (easy to trade in).

Practice Immediacy

Which order type generally seeks execution at the best currently available prices?

Related Market Microstructure terms

• Best Execution
• Effective Spread
• Fundamental Value
• Iceberg Order
• Informed Trader
• Kyle's Lambda (λ)
• Latency
• Closing Auction