<p id="isPasted">Yes, the trade will occur, but it is rarely a direct "person-to-person" exchange between the two. Instead, the transaction is facilitated by a centralized matching engine at the exchange using specific priority rules. </p><p><strong>How the Matching Occurs</strong></p><p>When two traders place orders for the same quantity and price, the exchange's algorithm determines execution based on the following: </p><ul><li>Price-Time Priority (FIFO): This is the most common system. The algorithm first prioritizes the best price (highest buy/lowest sell). If both traders offer the same price, the order that reached the exchange's server first is filled first.</li><li>Order Compatibility: A trade triggers when a buy order's price is equal to or higher than a sell order's price. If one trader is buying and the other is selling the exact same amount at that price, they will "match" and the transaction executes.</li><li>The Order Book: If you place a "Limit Order" and no immediate counter-party exists, your order sits in the Order Book as a passive order until someone else places a matching active order.</li></ul><p><strong>Special Cases</strong></p><ul><li>Pro-Rata Matching: Common in some futures markets, this algorithm fills orders proportionally based on size rather than time. If multiple traders have the same price, each gets a percentage of the incoming opposite order.</li><li>Internalization: Sometimes, if both traders use the same broker, the broker may match the orders internally before they even reach the public exchange.</li><li>Quantity Freeze: For very large quantities, exchanges may have "freeze limits" that prevent a single massive order from being placed all at once, forcing it to be broken into smaller chunks.</li></ul><p><strong>Summary Table: Order Priority</strong></p><p><strong> Priority Level Criteria Outcome</strong></p><table data-animation-nesting="" data-sae="" style="border: none; border-collapse: collapse; table-layout: auto; inline-size: 652px; color: rgb(230, 232, 240); font-family: "Google Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(16, 18, 24); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;" id="isPasted"><tbody><tr data-complete="true" data-sfc-cp=""></tr><tr data-complete="true" data-sfc-cp=""><td colspan="undefined" data-complete="true" data-sfc-cp="" style="border-block-end: 0.8px solid rgb(45, 47, 53); min-inline-size: 4em; vertical-align: top; color: rgb(230, 232, 240); font-family: "Google Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 22px; letter-spacing: 0px; padding-block: 12px; padding-inline: 0px 16px;">1. Price</td><td colspan="undefined" data-complete="true" data-sfc-cp="" style="border-block-end: 0.8px solid rgb(45, 47, 53); min-inline-size: 4em; vertical-align: top; color: rgb(230, 232, 240); font-family: "Google Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 22px; letter-spacing: 0px; padding-block: 12px; padding-inline: 0px 16px;">Best bid/ask</td><td colspan="undefined" data-complete="true" data-sfc-cp="" style="border-block-end: 0.8px solid rgb(45, 47, 53); min-inline-size: 4em; vertical-align: top; color: rgb(230, 232, 240); font-family: "Google Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 22px; letter-spacing: 0px; padding-block: 12px; padding-inline: 0px;">Highest buy and lowest sell are matched first.</td></tr><tr data-complete="true" data-sfc-cp=""><td colspan="undefined" data-complete="true" data-sfc-cp="" style="border-block-end: 0.8px solid rgb(45, 47, 53); min-inline-size: 4em; vertical-align: top; color: rgb(230, 232, 240); font-family: "Google Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 22px; letter-spacing: 0px; padding-block: 12px; padding-inline: 0px 16px;">2. Time</td><td colspan="undefined" data-complete="true" data-sfc-cp="" style="border-block-end: 0.8px solid rgb(45, 47, 53); min-inline-size: 4em; vertical-align: top; color: rgb(230, 232, 240); font-family: "Google Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 22px; letter-spacing: 0px; padding-block: 12px; padding-inline: 0px 16px;">Arrival timestamp</td><td colspan="undefined" data-complete="true" data-sfc-cp="" style="border-block-end: 0.8px solid rgb(45, 47, 53); min-inline-size: 4em; vertical-align: top; color: rgb(230, 232, 240); font-family: "Google Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 22px; letter-spacing: 0px; padding-block: 12px; padding-inline: 0px;">If prices are equal, the earlier order is filled first.</td></tr><tr data-complete="true" data-sfc-cp=""><td colspan="undefined" data-complete="true" data-sfc-cp="" style="border-block-end: none; min-inline-size: 4em; vertical-align: top; color: rgb(230, 232, 240); font-family: "Google Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 22px; letter-spacing: 0px; padding-block: 12px; padding-inline: 0px 16px;">3. Quantity</td><td colspan="undefined" data-complete="true" data-sfc-cp="" style="border-block-end: none; min-inline-size: 4em; vertical-align: top; color: rgb(230, 232, 240); font-family: "Google Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 22px; letter-spacing: 0px; padding-block: 12px; padding-inline: 0px 16px;">Total shares/lots</td><td colspan="undefined" data-complete="true" data-sfc-cp="" style="border-block-end: none; min-inline-size: 4em; vertical-align: top; color: rgb(230, 232, 240); font-family: "Google Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 22px; letter-spacing: 0px; padding-block: 12px; padding-inline: 0px;">In pro-rata systems, larger orders may get larger fills.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p id="isPasted">Yes, the trade will occur, but it is rarely a direct "person-to-person" exchange between the two. Instead, the transaction is facilitated by a centralized matching engine at the exchange using specific priority rules. </p><p><strong>How the Matching Occurs</strong></p><p>When two traders place orders for the same quantity and price, the exchange's algorithm determines execution based on the following: </p><ul><li>Price-Time Priority (FIFO): This is the most common system. The algorithm first prioritizes the best price (highest buy/lowest sell). If both traders offer the same price, the order that reached the exchange's server first is filled first.</li><li>Order Compatibility: A trade triggers when …</li></ul>