Trading Limit

Trading limit

The exchange-imposed maximum daliy price change that a futures contract or futures option contract can undergo.

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Daily Trading Limit

The maximum amount of gain or loss that can occur on a particular security or, more commonly, derivative on a trading day. Derivatives, currencies, and commodities can be extremely volatile investments. In order to prevent this volatility from spiraling out of control, options and futures exchanges enact daily trading limits stating that a security cannot rise or fall more than a certain percent in a given trading day. If a security reaches the daily trading limit, trading on that security is suspended for the remainder of the day. This is called a locked market. See also: Limit up, Limit down.

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Limit

1. The maximum amount of price change a futures contract is allowed to undergo on a given trading day. Limits are mandated by the exchanges on which futures contracts trade, and exist in order to reduce volatility in the market. It is also called a trading limit.

2. The maximum number of transactions in commodities that an individual may make on an exchange on a given trading day. Limits are mandated either by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission or by the exchanges on which commodity contracts trade. It is also called a trading limit.

3. See: Limit order.

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trading limit

The number of commodity contracts that a person may trade during a single day. The limit is established by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission or by the exchange on which the particular contract is traded. Compare position limit.