Your order executed—just not all of it. If you’ve noticed that only a fraction of your trade went through, don’t worry; this is a standard occurrence in the market where liquidity and price movements can result in incomplete trades.
Here is everything you need to know about why partial fills happen and what you can do next.
What is a Partial Fill?
A partially filled order means that only a portion of your requested quantity was executed at the exchange. The rest of your order typically falls into one of two categories:
Partially Filled Pending: The remaining shares are still "live" and waiting for a buyer or seller.
Partially Filled Cancelled: You or the system cancelled the remaining portion of the order.
Why Do Partial Fills Happen?
The market works on a supply and demand basis. If there isn't a perfect match for your entire request at a specific moment, a partial fill occurs. This usually happens for three reasons:
Limited Supply at Your Price: If you place a limit order to buy 1,000 shares at EGP 50, but only 600 shares are being offered at that price, you will receive those 600. The remaining 400 will wait in the order book until someone else is willing to sell at your price.
Low Liquidity: For stocks that aren't traded heavily (low volume), there simply may not be enough people on the other side of the trade to fulfill a large order all at once.
Fast-Moving Markets: In volatile conditions, the price can "gap" or move away from your limit price before the full order can be processed
How Order Types Affect Fulfillment
While all trades are subject to partial fulfillment, the order type you choose affects the likelihood of execution.
Limit Orders are more likely to result in partial fills. When you place a Limit Order, you are prioritizing price over quantity. You are telling the exchange, "Only fill my order if you can find the exact price I want." If the market only has 50 shares available at your price but you requested 100, the exchange is forced to give you a partial fill to protect your price instruction.
Market Orders are less likely to result in partial fills. Market Orders prioritize quantity over price. You are telling the exchange, "Fill my entire order immediately at whatever price is available." Because the system will "sweep" through multiple price levels to complete your request, Market Orders lower the likelihood of a partial fill, though they may result in a different average price than you expected.
How a Partial Fill Affects Your Account
Once an order is partially filled, your status will change to Partially Filled Pending. Here is what that looks like for your account:
The executed portion is final and reflected in your portfolio
The remaining quantity is still active in the order book
You can cancel the remainder at any time
If the remainder eventually fills, the status moves to Fulfilled. If you cancel the remainder, the status moves to Partially Filled Cancelled.
Managing Your Remaining Order
Depending on your goals, you can either let the remaining order continue as-is or take action to change it. Here are your options:
If you want to… | Then you should… | Best for… |
Keep it | Do nothing. The remainder stays active in the order book. | Patient investors who aren't in a rush. |
Stop the trade | Cancel the remaining portion of the order. | Freeing up your balance or avoiding further exposure. |
Adjust price | Modify your limit price to match the current market. | When you need the trade to fill immediately. |
⚠️ Important: Modifying your price resets your "time priority," meaning you move to the back of the line for that specific price point. |
FAQs
How are commissions calculated on partial fills? Commissions are applied only to the portion of the order that has successfully executed. If the remaining quantity fills at a later time, the relevant commissions will be applied to that specific portion once it is finalized.
Can I place a new order for the remaining quantity? You have the option to place a new order, but it is generally recommended to cancel the pending remainder first. If you leave the original pending order active and open a second one, the system will reserve (block) additional balance or shares to cover both requests simultaneously.
How will I be updated on my order's progress? You will receive a real-time notification each time a portion of your order is successfully executed at the exchange. You can also monitor the changing "Pending" vs. "Executed" amounts directly in your Orders tab.