Define: Ask Price

The ask price is the lowest price at which an investor is willing to sell an asset (e.g. stocks, commodity, etc.) on an exchange or in the over the counter (OTC) market at a given time and for a given volume of such asset. For example, XYZ Corp. may be quoted on the NYSE at a $50.25 ask price for 100 shares (i.e. $50.25×100). The ask price is almost always higher than the bid price (i.e. the highest price at which an investor is willing to buy the asset). The ask price is often paired with the bid price to form the bid-ask spread (i.e. ask price minus bid price). With commodities, the ask price sometimes steps up as volume increases. In the context of mutual funds, the ask price is the net asset value per share of the fund plus any applicable sales charges. The ask price is also called the asked or asking price, the offer or offering price, or simply referred to as the ask.

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Definitions for Ask Price are sourced/syndicated and enhanced from:

• A Dictionary of Economics (Oxford Quick Reference)
• BusinessDictionary.com
• Oxford Dictionary Of Accounting
• Oxford Dictionary Of Business & Management

This glossary post was last updated: 4th February 2020.