Partial fills on thin pairs and the position nobody planned
Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2026 8:29 pm
Send a 5 lot order on a quiet NZDCAD book and there is a real chance only part of it executes at the first price. The rest fills a pip away, or waits, or gets cancelled depending on the fill policy.
That creates a position size nobody chose. Stops and targets calculated for 5 lots now apply to something like 3.2, or the order shows as two separate tickets with two separate entry prices, which breaks any tidy risk math.
Worse, a partial fill can leave a small residual order working in the background. Price turns, that remnant triggers, and suddenly there is a stray position on the book with no stop.
A few habits help:
- Check order history after every large entry, not just the open positions tab.
- Use fill-or-kill style instructions if the platform allows it and the full size is what matters.
- Split big entries into smaller clips and accept a slightly worse average.
None of this matters on EURUSD at normal size. It matters a lot on crosses and at odd hours.
Has a forgotten remnant of a partial fill ever turned a clean trade into a messy one for you?
That creates a position size nobody chose. Stops and targets calculated for 5 lots now apply to something like 3.2, or the order shows as two separate tickets with two separate entry prices, which breaks any tidy risk math.
Worse, a partial fill can leave a small residual order working in the background. Price turns, that remnant triggers, and suddenly there is a stray position on the book with no stop.
A few habits help:
- Check order history after every large entry, not just the open positions tab.
- Use fill-or-kill style instructions if the platform allows it and the full size is what matters.
- Split big entries into smaller clips and accept a slightly worse average.
None of this matters on EURUSD at normal size. It matters a lot on crosses and at odd hours.
Has a forgotten remnant of a partial fill ever turned a clean trade into a messy one for you?