What Is The Difference Between Slippage And Requote Why They Happen

Ara Zohrabian
4 min readDec 6, 2023
Photo by Dylan Calluy on Unsplash

What is Slippage and Requotes

In the world of financial markets, traders often encounter two terms that can significantly impact their trading strategies: slippage and requotes. Let’s dive into what these terms mean, why they occur, and how traders can effectively manage them.

What is Slippage?

Slippage is like that unexpected curveball in your favorite game. It’s the difference between the expected price of a trade and the price at which the trade is executed. But how does this happen?

Slippage is a common occurrence in volatile markets. When prices are swinging wildly, there’s often a delay between the time you place your order and the time it gets executed. Factors like market volatility, order execution speed, and liquidity issues can cause this delay.

Imagine you’re trading a rapidly moving stock, and you place an order to buy at $50. However, by the time your order gets processed, the stock’s price has jumped to $55. You experience a slippage of $5 per share.

What are Requotes?

Understanding Requotes Requotes are those moments when you submit an order, and your broker comes back with a different price. It’s like trying to negotiate a deal, only to have the terms change unexpectedly.

What’s behind this?

Requotes typically occur when market conditions are highly volatile. During such times, your broker may not be able to execute your order at the initially quoted price due to rapidly changing market conditions and liquidity constraints.

Suppose you decide to sell a currency pair at a given price, but the market is in a frenzy. Your broker then requests a requote at a slightly different price, which may not be in your favor.

Slippage vs. Requotes

It’s crucial to understand the fundamental differences between slippage and requotes. Slippage is about execution at a different price, while a requote is a request to accept a new price before execution.

Impacts on Trading Strategies

Slippage and requotes can have significant implications for your trading strategies. Slippage can eat into your profits, while requotes can lead to delays and potential missed opportunities.

Why and How Slippage Happen

Why Slippage Occurs Slippage is more likely in fast-moving markets or during major news releases when prices can change rapidly. In such situations, traders may face execution delays as the market struggles to keep up.

Strategies to Tackle Slippage To mitigate slippage, consider setting limit orders, using stop-loss orders, and trading during periods of lower volatility. These strategies can help minimize the impact of slippage on your trades.

The Requote: Causes and Solutions

Requotes Happen Requotes are more common when the market is highly erratic. Brokers may need to requote because they can’t execute your order at the originally quoted price due to fast market movements.

Strategies for Requote Management

To handle requotes effectively, stay informed about market conditions and opt for brokers with advanced execution systems that can reduce the frequency of requotes.

Practical Tips:

  • When facing slippage, stay patient and adapt your trading approach as market conditions change. Use risk management tools like stop-loss and take-profit orders.
  • When dealing with requotes, make quick, informed decisions. Remember that rapid market movements can create opportunities as well as challenges.

Risk Management

In the midst of slippage and requotes, one guiding principle remains essential: risk management. Balancing risk and reward is the key to maintaining a successful and sustainable trading approach.

Maintaining a balanced approach — practice discipline and stick to your risk management plan. Diversify your portfolio, use leverage wisely, and always keep an eye on your risk-reward ratio.

Bottom line on Slippage and Requotes

In conclusion, slippage and requotes are two common challenges that traders face in financial markets. Slippage refers to the unexpected difference between the expected price of a trade and the price at which it is executed, often occurring in volatile markets due to factors like market volatility, order execution speed, and liquidity issues. Requotes, on the other hand, occur when market conditions are highly volatile, and brokers cannot execute orders at the initially quoted price, leading to price adjustments before execution.

Both slippage and requotes can have significant impacts on trading strategies. Slippage can erode profits, while requotes can introduce delays and missed opportunities. Traders must be prepared to adapt to these challenges by employing various strategies such as setting limit orders, using stop-loss orders, and trading during periods of lower volatility to manage slippage. For requotes, staying informed about market conditions and choosing brokers with advanced execution systems can help mitigate their frequency.

Amid these challenges, one guiding principle remains paramount: risk management. Successful and sustainable trading relies on balancing risk and reward, practicing discipline, diversifying portfolios, using leverage wisely, and maintaining a keen eye on the risk-reward ratio. Ultimately, understanding and effectively managing slippage and requotes are essential skills for traders seeking success in the ever-changing landscape of financial markets.

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