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Trading Support

To help you understand and make the most of your trading, we’ll answer your most popular questions.

I want to know:

I want to know:

 

How can I get live quotes on trades?

You can get live share prices when signed in to your account within the dealing tab on the right hand navigation. You just need to select the investment and number of units then select continue. This screen will provide you with the latest price.

Sign in to share dealing

What if I can't get a live price?

If you cannot get a live quote this could be due to one of the reasons below:

  1. The size of the trade is larger than the current market appetite e.g. nobody is willing to offer a live price to buy or sell your shares due to the size of the order.
  2. The stock has no or limited liquidity: If the stock only trades in small quantities or very infrequently then a live quote may not be offered.
  3. The stock is in auction: Volatile stocks may be put into auction on the market. This means that internal market counterparties (buyers) will bid each other for the stock in order to stabilise it’s price. During this time, no trades can be placed and you'll need to wait for the stock to come out of auction before placing another order.

    If a live price is unavailable you can continue to try for a live quote, place your order through our TradePlan service.

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When can I withdraw money from my trade?

On the day of settlement the money from a sale will be available for you to withdraw.

Most UK, US and European trades take two working days to settle. This settlement period allows time for the delivery of the stock and cash and for any other trade administration to be completed. Your trade confirmation will confirm the trade’s settlement date.

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What is a delayed order?

When the market is closed you can still place an order which will be dealt when the market re-opens. The price on these orders is not a guaranteed price and the order will be dealt in fair and due turn at the best price available for an order of that size.

If you’d like to protect the price of your order you can set-up a TradePlan which will complete your trade when the price hits a pre-set limit. For example, if you want to buy a stock at 98p, and the price is currently higher than 98p, you could set up a limit order which would only deal when the stock falls to 98p.

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When will I be able to see my fund trade?

Funds are traded differently to shares. Funds are normally priced once each day at a time called the valuation point. The price per unit for the fund will be set by the valuation of the assets. For most funds, if you place your order before 11.15 am, the trade will be priced at 12 noon. Any order placed after 11.15 am would not be priced until the following working day at 12 noon. The completed trade can take a couple of days to show within your account.

When you place a buy order for a fund you can only set an amount you wish to invest. The Fund Manager will receive your order at the next valuation point and will invest your money at the new fund price (the future price). Your order will then be allocated to your account within a couple of days.

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Investing in IPOs and share offerings

  • An ‘Initial Public Offering’ (IPO) allows you to buy shares in companies for a set price before they list on the stock market.
  • Share offerings are another way for companies to raise money, companies will offer additional shares for a set price to potential investors.

How to get involved in IPOs and share offerings:

We offer the option to invest in both options with 'PrimaryBid'. Simply click on the link below, create an account and follow the instructions on how to invest.

Invest in IPOs

When you make a decision to buy shares on the ‘PrimaryBid’ website or app you’ll be able to select us as your broker. ‘PrimaryBid’ will then confirm your details with us and arrange to transfer the shares, we’ll then place your new shares into your account.

 

Important details:

  • Shares can only be transferred into your own Share Dealing Account, and not into an ISA, SIPP or joint account.
  • Once your PrimaryBid application has been completed and is successful, we’ll work with them to transfer any new shares into your account held with us.
  • We’ll aim to get shares into your account as soon as possible, however in some instances it can take up to 3 working days.
  • You will not be able to sell your shares until the transfer process has been completed. If you’re looking to sell your shares as soon as trading commences following an IPO or share offering this is not possible with our service and you should consider alternative options.

In some limited cases, transfers may not possible due to the shares not being available on our platform. This is usually because they don't meet our risk policy, but PrimaryBid will inform you if this is the case.

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Our trading tools

  • Shares Centre – For finding and researching UK and international investments, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), Investment Trusts and more.
  • Funds Centre – For finding and researching funds to invest in.
  • Boost Your Skills – If you’re new to investing and want a little guidance and to learn the basics.
  • Market News – Find out what is happening on the market or if your investments made the news.
  • TradePlans – Automated trading tools to help you manage investment decisions.
  • Investor Meet Company – Investor Meet Company is a free and independent service which allows you to feel more involved in the businesses you invest in. You can interact with their management, watch live presentations, access results and more, regardless of the number of shares you own.

Please note, Investor Meet Company is a third party service so we recommend using a strong, and different password to your other online services.
 

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Halifax Share Dealing Limited. Registered in England and Wales no. 3195646. Registered Office: Trinity Road, Halifax, West Yorkshire, HX1 2RG. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under registration number 183332. A Member of the London Stock Exchange and an HM Revenue & Customs Approved ISA Manager.