Help CenterWhat is a Spread?
A spread is the difference between the Bid and Ask prices of a trading instrument.
- The Bid Price is the highest price buyers are willing to pay — it’s the price you'd sell at.
- The Ask Price is the lowest price sellers are willing to accept — it’s the price you'd buy at.
Spread = Ask Price - Bid Price
This difference is essentially the cost of entering a trade and can vary depending on market conditions, the instrument, and your account type.
What Triggers My Stop Loss?
- For Buy positions, the Bid Price is used when closing the trade (your position is sold).
- For Sell positions, the Ask Price is used (your position is bought back).
This is why the spread matters — it can influence when your stop loss or take profit levels get triggered.
How Can I View the Spread?
By default, MT5 doesn’t show the spread directly, but you can easily add it to your Market Watch for real-time visibility.
To View the Spread in MT5:
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Open the Market Watch window (press Ctrl + M or go to View > Market Watch).
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Right-click anywhere in the Market Watch list.
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Click on “Spread” from the context menu.
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A new column will appear showing the spread for each instrument — displayed in points (where 10 points = 1 pip, depending on your broker's setup).
Spreads shown here are dynamic and update in real time.
How Do I Add the Spread Column to My Watchlist?