Trading

Volume: Definition

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Simple Definition

How many shares are bought and sold in a day. High volume = lots of trading.

Why It Matters

Volume tells you how much interest a stock is getting. Apple trades 50+ million shares daily; a small company might trade 10,000. High volume on a price move means conviction; low volume suggests the move might not last. A stock jumping 20% on no volume is suspicious; jumping 20% on 10x normal volume is meaningful.

Key Points

  • Average daily volume is your baseline - compare today's volume to see if something unusual is happening
  • Volume spikes often precede or accompany big news (earnings, acquisitions, scandals)
  • Low volume = harder to buy/sell without affecting price; high volume = easy to trade

Related Terms

Common Questions

How many shares are bought and sold in a day. High volume = lots of trading. Volume tells you how much interest a stock is getting. Apple trades 50+ million shares daily; a small company might trade 10,000.

Volume tells you how much interest a stock is getting. Apple trades 50+ million shares daily; a small company might trade 10,000. High volume on a price move means conviction; low volume suggests the move might not last. A stock jumping 20% on no volume is suspicious; jumping 20% on 10x normal volume is meaningful.

Average daily volume is your baseline - compare today's volume to see if something unusual is happening

Volume spikes often precede or accompany big news (earnings, acquisitions, scandals)

Low volume = harder to buy/sell without affecting price; high volume = easy to trade