Are buy and sell orders for stocks executed instantly?

Yes, but not always completely instantly. Buy and sell orders are executed in real time when the market is open and sufficient liquidity is available, as orders are executed at the best available market price at that moment.

However, in some cases, execution may not be immediate, such as:

• When placing a Limit Order, where execution only occurs when the specified price is reached.
• In cases of low liquidity or price gaps.
• When trading outside market hours, where the order is registered and executed when the market opens.
• During periods of high volatility, where execution may occur at a slightly different price than the requested price. This is known as price slippage.