Why Do Share Prices Move?
How price is set between bid and ask, and why it constantly fluctuates.
A share's price is set in the market every moment by two sides meeting: a buyer offering a Bid Price, and a seller asking for an Ask Price. The small gap between them is called the Spread. When both sides agree, a trade happens at that price. Prices move up and down for many reasons: a company's business results, news about its sector, the broader economy, and even investors' own expectations. This constant movement is called Volatility, and it is a normal feature of any financial market, not a malfunction or a mistake. Live trading is not yet enabled for your account, so the prices you see are indicative prices: shown for information, not executable market prices. Their purpose is to teach you how to read the screens and make decisions, not to forecast any real price.
Illustrative example
Suppose a fictional company with the symbol DEMO_FOOD had a higher price in the morning, then dropped in the evening after news about the food sector. This change is only an illustrative example to explain the idea of price movement, not a record of a real price.
Common mistake
Some beginners believe that a price rising or falling in a single day means their decision was "right" or "wrong." Short-term price movement is affected by many seemingly random factors and does not necessarily reflect a company's real long-term value.
Quick check
What is the small gap between the buy and sell price called?
The Spread — because it is the gap between what a buyer offers and what a seller asks at the same moment.
Does price volatility mean something is wrong with the market?
No — volatility is normal behavior resulting from constantly changing supply and demand.
What does "indicative prices" mean in your account?
They are shown for information and cannot yet be executed in the market — because live trading is only enabled once the licensed broker is connected.
Try it: Watch the price chart for any sample asset across the different time ranges (screen: IW-06).
This content is educational only and is not investment advice.