The Basics of Order Flow in Stock Trading

What is Order Flow in Stock Trading?

• Order flow trading involves analyzing the flow of orders entering the market to gain insights into supply and demand dynamics.
• It provides a detailed view of market activity by looking at executed and pending orders to identify potential trends, reversals, support and resistance levels.

The Basics of Order Flow

• Orders that move price are market orders – buy market orders push price up, sell market orders push price down.
• Limit orders sitting on the bid and ask act as resistance, absorbing market orders. Price only moves when limit orders at a level are filled.
• The bid-ask spread is kept tight as traders jump in to narrow any widening spreads.
• An imbalance between aggressive buy and sell orders shows which direction price is likely to move.

Order Flow Tools

• The DOM (depth of market) shows limit buy and sell orders at each price level, indicating potential support and resistance.
• Time and Sales shows executed trades, highlighting periods of buying or selling pressure.
• Volume profile visualizes volume traded at each price, identifying key areas like the point of control.
• Foot print charts show bid/ask volume at each price to highlight imbalances.
• Order flow platforms like NinjaTrader, TradingView, ThinkorSwim provide these tools for in-depth order flow analysis.

Using Order Flow

• Look for price levels with significant limit orders that could absorb opposingmarket orders and act as support/resistance.
• An imbalance of market buy orders over market sell orders suggests upward price movement and vice versa.
• Combine order flow with technicals, sentiment, fundamentals for confirmation.
• Be aware of spoofing – orders placed to mislead traders and then canceled.

What Patterns to Look for in Order Flow

1. Absorption: When a large number of limit orders at a specific price level absorb incoming market orders without the price moving through that level. This indicates a strong support or resistance level.
2. Imbalance: When there is a significant difference between the number of buy and sell market orders at a price level. A buy imbalance suggests potential upward price movement, while a sell imbalance suggests potential downward movement.
3. Breakout: When price moves through a significant level of limit orders, it indicates a breakout. A breakout with high volume and a large imbalance in the breakout direction strengthens the chances of continuation.
4. Cumulative Delta: The running total of buy market orders minus sell market orders. A rising cumulative delta indicates overall buying pressure, while a falling cumulative delta indicates selling pressure.
5. Iceberg Orders: Large limit orders that are divided into smaller visible parts to hide the actual order size. Detecting iceberg orders can indicate significant support or resistance levels.
6. Spoofing: A form of market manipulation where large limit orders are placed to create a false sense of buying or selling pressure, only to be canceled before execution. Recognizing spoofing can help avoid false signals.
7. Absorption and Continuation: When limit orders absorb market orders at a level and price continues in the same direction, it indicates strong directional conviction and potential trend continuation.
8. Volume Profiles: The distribution of traded volume across price levels. Key volume profile levels like the Point of Control (POC), Value Area High (VAH), and Value Area Low (VAL) can act as support and resistance.
9. Order Flow Reversals: When order flow suddenly shifts from a buy imbalance to a sell imbalance or vice versa, it can signal a potential price reversal, especially if it occurs at key levels.
10. Liquidity Gaps: Price levels with little to no limit orders on either side. When price reaches these levels, it can potentially move quickly to the next area of liquidity. Identifying liquidity gaps can provide targets for price movement.

Tips for Success

• Choose a robust order flow platform and learn to use its tools effectively.
• Practice reading order flow consistently to recognize key patterns.
• Use order flow to enhance rather than replace your existing analysis.
• Manage risk carefully and adapt strategies as market conditions evolve.

In summary, the basics of order flow provides a deeper look into market dynamics beyond just price action. With the right tools and experience, it can provide valuable insights to enhance trading decisions. But it should be used with other analysis and disciplined risk management.

Looking for Great Stock Tips?