Take profit order or Take profit is an exit trade order, which automatically closes an open position at a specific price, specified in advance by the trader. When the price reaches this rate the trade closes at a predefined profit. Its commonly abbreviated as (TP)
Basics of a Take-Profit Order
Most traders use take-profit orders in conjunction with stop-loss orders (S/L) to manage their open positions. If the security rises to the take-profit point, the T/P order is executed and the position is closed for gain. If the security falls to the stop-loss point, the S/L order is executed and the position is closed for a loss. The difference between the market price and these two points helps define the trade’s risk-to-reward ratio.
The benefit of using a take-profit order is that the trader doesn’t have to worry about manually executing a trade or second-guessing themselves. On the other hand, take-profit orders are executed at the best possible price regardless of the underlying security’s behavior. The stock could start to break out higher, but the T/P order might execute at the very beginning of the breakout, resulting in high opportunity costs.
Take-profit orders are best used by short-term traders interested in managing their risk. This is because they can get out of a trade as soon as their planned profit target is reached and not risk a possible future downturn in the market. Traders with a long-term strategy do not favor such orders because it cuts into their profits.
Take-profit orders are often placed at levels that are defined by other forms of technical analysis, including chart pattern analysis and support and resistance levels, or using money management techniques, such as the Kelly Criterion. Many trading system developers also use take-profit orders when placing automated trades since they can be well-defined and serve as a great risk management technique.