Bid–ask spread
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRICES QUOTED FOR BUYING AND SELLING A FINANCIAL SECURITY
Bid/ask; Bid/ask spread; Bid-ask; Bid-ask spread; Bid/offer spread; Bid ask spread; Bid and ask; Bid offer spread; Buy-sell spread; Buy/sell spread; Buy sell spread; Bid-offer spread; Bid–offer spread; Buy–sell spread; Bid-ask spreads
The bid–ask spread (also bid–offer or bid/ask and buy/sell in the case of a market maker) is the difference between the prices quoted (either by a single market maker or in a limit order book) for an immediate sale (ask) and an immediate purchase (bid) for stocks, futures contracts, options, or currency pairs in some auction scenario. The size of the bid–ask spread in a security is one measure of the liquidity of the market and of the size of the transaction cost.