Seeing a Pending status on your order? Don’t worry—it doesn’t mean your trade is stuck. It simply means your order is live in the market and waiting for the right conditions to be met.
Think of it as your order standing in line, waiting for its perfect match. Here is a breakdown of why your order hasn't filled yet and what you can do about it.
Common Reasons for a Pending Order
The Market Hasn’t Reached Your Price
If you placed a Limit Order, you’ve set a specific price at which you’re willing to buy or sell. Your order will remain active until the market price hits your target, or until your chosen expiry.
Not enough counterparty interest at your price
For a trade to happen, there must be a counterparty — a buyer for every seller. This can affect your order in two ways: the market price may never reach your limit, or the price reaches your limit but there isn't enough volume on the other side to fully match your order. In either case, your order stays pending until enough counterparty interest exists at your price level.
You’re Waiting in Queue
Markets operate on a First-In, First-Out (FIFO) basis at each price level. If other orders were placed at the same price before yours, they execute first — and if there isn't enough volume to fill them all, your order waits.
There are two layers to this queue:
EGX price and time priority — the exchange executes orders by best price first, then by earliest arrival at the same price. Orders from different brokers also take priority over same-broker orders at the same price level
Thndr sending queue — because EGX limits how many orders can be forwarded to the exchange at once, a small number of orders may sit briefly in Thndr's outbound queue before reaching the exchange. This typically affects market orders placed outside market hours at open, and usually clears within a few minutes
📝 Note: If you recently modified the price or quantity of your order, you lose your original spot and move to the back of the queue for that price level. |
Restricted Market Sessions
Specific exchanges like the EGX have sessions where matching is paused, such as:
Pre-open Adjustment Period
Pre-close Adjustment Session
If you place an order during these times, it will remain pending until the main trading session resumes.
How to Manage a Pending Order
If you need your order to execute faster, you have a few tactical moves:
Wait it Out: If your limit price is realistic, the market may eventually move toward you.
Adjust Your Price: Modifying your limit price closer to the current market price increases your chances of a fill (just remember this resets your queue position).
Switch to a Market Order: If speed is more important than a specific price, a market order will execute immediately at the best available price (only available during main trading hours).
Cancel and Replace: Sometimes a fresh start with new parameters is the best way to react to sudden market shifts.
How Long Will My Order Stay Pending
If you choose to wait for your pending order to fill, how long the order remains active depends on the expiry type you selected when placing your trade. Understanding these timelines helps you manage your expectations and decide when to adjust your strategy.
Expiry Type | Behavior & Timeline |
DAY | Ends today. Your order will automatically expire at the close of the current trading session. |
Good Till Date (GTD) | Custom duration. It remains active and pending until a specific date you chose (usually up to 30 days for EGX and ADX). |
Good Till Cancel (GTC) | Always on. Stays in the market until you manually cancel it, or for a maximum of 30 days. |
Fill Or Kill (FOK)/ Immediate Or Cancel (IOC) | Instant. These never stay pending; they either execute immediately or cancel instantly. |
Final Summary and Next Steps
A Pending status is a normal part of the trading process—it simply ensures your order is waiting for the exact price and volume conditions you’ve requested.
You are always in full control: whether you choose to wait for your target price or adjust your strategy for a faster fill, your order is live and working in the background.
Before making changes, double-check that:
The current market price matches your Limit Price.
The market is currently in an active trading session.
There is enough trading volume to match your order.
If the market is moving quickly and you prioritize speed over a specific price, you can always modify your order or switch to a Market Order for an immediate fill.
FAQs
How long can my order stay pending?
It depends on the expiry type you selected:
DAY — expires at market close on the same day
GTD (Good till Date) — active until your chosen date (default 30 days for EGX and ADX)
GTC (Good till Cancel) — stays active until you cancel it
Note: Orders with FOK / IOC expiry type executed immediately or cancelled instantly; these orders never stay pending
Will I be notified when my order executes?
Yes. You'll receive a notification as soon as your order is matched and executed.
Can pending orders execute outside market hours?
No. Orders are only matched during active exchange trading sessions.