All-or-None Orders in Stock Trading

If you are an investor who relies heavily onso you would only presently be investing
penny stocks, the all-or-none order (AON) is$600,000 if the stocks were available.
extremely important. The AON order works toSo, now you play the "waiting" game to see if
safeguard your purchase by providing theother people who own stocks in Applebee's are
guarantee that you either receive every singlewilling to sell them. Finally, after 2 years of waiting,
stock that you requested or none at all. This typeyour stockbroker contacts you with the good
of order can problematic when a particularnews that all 3000 shares of Applebee's stock are
company lacks the cash to stand behind theiravailable. And, even better news, each stock has
stocks or a limit has been placed on the order.dropped $50 in price. That means that instead of
All-or-none orders are the lowest priority of yourinvesting $600,000 for 3000 shares of Applebee's
stockbroker therefore, this type of transaction isstock, you only have to invest $450,000! If you
executed last, so when your broker finallybudget allows, that leaves you with $150,000 to
attempts to execute this order, there must beinvest into another stock.
enough stocks available to buy or the order is nullNow, there are two huge disadvantages of
and void. Therefore, your all-or-none order will notall-or-none orders, the first one being price
be filled until there is enough stock available noinflation. For example, you would like to purchase
matter how much time elapses before purchase4500 shares of stock from Southwestern Bell, a
of an AON order is accomplished.phone company. So, again, you contact your
In order to better clarify this type of order, anbroker with this decision. You broker informs you
example is provided. Let's say that you put in anthat there are only 2500 shares of stock available
order to buy 2500 shares of stock fromfrom Southwestern Bell, however, that it would
Wal-Mart, however, because Wal-Mart stocks arebe wise to place an all-or-none order because
in such high demand, only 1000 shares arethese stocks seem to steadily increase in profit
available for purchase. If you place an all-or-noneand lower in price per stock. So, you follow
order on the Wal-Mart shares, then you mustthrough with this.
wait until 2500 shares are available for purchase.About 9 months later, your stockbroker reports
Now, if it takes 10 months for 2500 shares ofto you that all 4500 shares of stock in
stock from Wal-Mart to become available, thenSouthwestern Bell are available; however, the
there is a high chance that the price of eachprice per stock has increased 34%. Because you
stock has increased. However, because youdid not cancel this all-or-none order, you are now
placed an AON order 10 months ago, your brokerforced to purchase all 4500 shares of
is currently executing the order, and the totalSouthwestern Bell stock. The other disadvantage
number of stocks are presently available, so youis that you may not receive the all-or-none
are required to purchase all 2500 of them noordered stocks. Let's say that you wanted to
matter what the price per stock may be.purchase 6000 shares of stock from Friedman's,
Obviously the advantage to the all-or-none ordera jewelry store, however, not all the stock is
is that the price of any given company's stockcurrently available. So, you place an all-or-none
could either stay the same or even decrease inorder. Three months later, your stockbroker goes
price. For example, you would like to obtain 3000to complete the order; however, there are still
shares of stock in Applebee's, a restaurant chain;not a total of 6000 stocks available from
however, because Applebee's stocks are in highFriedman's. Because your stockbroker attempted
demand, there are only 1000 stocks available forto fill the order, you have lost all of the stocks
purchase. You really love this restaurant chain andthat you wanted to purchase.
you had your heart set on 3000 shares ofBecause this type of order is highly stressful, it is
Applebee's, so you decided to place an all-or-noneimperative that you hire a broker in which you
order on the purchase of these stocks. Currentlycan thoroughly trust due to the fact that one
the each share of stock is priced at $200 each,wrong move will make you lose everything!