Prices that stand still after news are not always quiet

[Shadow Trader]

After a big release, a chart can show a flat line for several seconds. Nothing moves, no new ticks. It looks like calm after the storm.

Often the feed has stalled. The broker's server is overloaded, a liquidity provider has stopped quoting, or the platform has dropped updates. Meanwhile, the real market has moved, and when the feed resumes, price jumps to catch up.

Placing orders during a stall is hazardous. The price on the screen is stale. Orders go in at the old level, and fills either fail or arrive at the new, very different price.

Signs of a stall include a frozen time display, a spread that doesn't change, and a tick counter that stops. Comparing with a second source, such as another broker's chart, shows whether the market is moving elsewhere.

Waiting for ticks to resume and for the spread to settle before acting costs a few seconds and avoids the worst fills.

Has a stale feed ever been caught in time, or only after the order went in?