What is a Zero Plus Tick or Zero Uptick?
Let me explain what a zero plus tick or zero uptick means in trading. It's when you execute a security purchase at the exact same price as the trade right before it, but that price is higher than the transaction that came before that one.
To make it clear, a zero plus tick or zero uptick happens in a security trade where the price matches the preceding trade but is higher than the last trade at a different price. For instance, if trades go at $10, then $10.01, and then $10.01 again, that last one is a zero plus tick because it's the same as the previous but higher than the one before. You see this term applied to stocks, bonds, commodities, and other assets, but it's most common with listed equity securities. The opposite is a zero minus tick.
Key Takeaways
Here's what you need to remember: A zero uptick is when an asset trades at the same price as the trade before it, but higher than the one prior to that. Short sellers often used zero upticks to comply with the uptick rule. Up until 2007, the SEC required that stocks could only be shorted on an uptick or zero plus tick to avoid destabilizing the stock. As of 2010, there's an alternate uptick rule where if a stock drops more than 10% in a day, you can only short on an uptick, but if it hasn't dropped that much, shorting is free.
Understanding a Zero Plus Tick
I want you to understand that a zero uptick, or zero plus tick, indicates the price of a stock has moved higher and then held steady, even if just for a moment. That's why for over 70 years, the SEC had an uptick rule saying you could only short stocks on an uptick or zero plus tick, not on a downtick.
The rule aimed to keep the market stable by stopping traders from pushing a stock's price down through shorting on downticks. Before this rule, traders would team up, pool money, and short sell to drive prices down, causing panic and more selling, which dropped values even further.
People thought short selling on downticks might have contributed to the 1929 crash, based on investigations from the 1937 market break. The uptick rule started in 1938 and got lifted in 2007 when the SEC decided markets were mature enough without it. Decimalization on exchanges also made the rule seem unnecessary.
During the 2008 crisis, there were calls to bring it back, so in 2010, the SEC put in an alternative uptick rule: if a stock falls more than 10% in a day, short selling is only allowed on an uptick, and this lasts for the rest of that day and the next.
Example of a Zero Plus Tick
Suppose stock ABC has been climbing from $45 to $50 all day. After a bunch of upticks where each trade is higher than the last, it trades at $50 again. That's your zero plus tick.
Take Company XYZ with a bid at $273.36 and offer at $273.37. Trades happen at both in the last second as the price holds. A trade at $273.37 is an uptick. Another at $273.37 right after is a zero plus tick.
Usually, this doesn't matter much. But if the stock has dropped 10% from the prior close that day, upticks become crucial because under the 2010 rule, you can only short on an uptick. That means getting filled on the offer side; you can't hit the bid to take liquidity.
Zero Downtick
A zero downtick is the flip side of a zero uptick. It happens when a trade executes at the same price as the one right before but lower than the transaction prior to that. This pattern gives you useful info on short-term market direction and momentum. If you're into short selling or spotting support levels, understanding zero downticks is key.
This concept got more attention after the uptick rule was removed in 2007. A zero downtick doesn't always mean a big bearish move, but it can show a pause in upward momentum or a shift in sentiment.
The Uptick Rule
The uptick rule was an old SEC regulation requiring every short sale to be at a price higher than the previous trade. It came from the 1934 Securities Exchange Act as Rule 10a-1, starting in 1938, to stop short sellers from piling on when a stock was already dropping fast.
Uptick rules can annoy short sellers, who bet on falls, because they have to wait for stabilization before filling orders. Some say these rules limit trading and reduce liquidity. Shorting involves borrowing shares from owners, creating demand. Proponents argue it adds liquidity and keeps stocks from getting hyped too high.
Why Zero Uptick Matters
You should know why zero upticks are important for your trading. They signal short-term price momentum. When a stock hits a zero uptick, it shows buyers are still in at that price after an up move, hinting at continued upward trend with ongoing interest.
If you're thinking of shorting, watch these moments. Under old rules like the repealed SEC Rule 10a-1, you could only short on an uptick; a zero uptick wouldn't let you start unless it ticks up more.
Frequent zero upticks point to high liquidity, with lots of buyers and sellers at similar levels, leading to tight spreads and smooth moves. Few zero upticks suggest low liquidity, more volatility, and wider spreads.
Zero upticks fit into technical analysis too. If you use candlestick charts or indicators, they help spot support or resistance for better entry and exit decisions.
Overall, how often zero upticks happen gives you clues on market liquidity and behavior. High frequency means active trading with tight spreads; low means the opposite. For short sellers, the zero-uptick rule limits shorts to prevent too much downward pressure, allowing them only on zero or positive upticks.
What Is a Tick?
A tick is the smallest price movement a security can make in markets. It's the tiniest increment for changes in stocks, bonds, or other instruments. In the U.S., stocks usually have a $0.01 tick, but it varies for cheap stocks or other markets. Ticks matter because they set the smallest bid-ask spread.
What Is Technical Analysis?
Technical analysis looks at investments and spots trading chances by studying stats from activity like price moves and volume. Unlike fundamental analysis on company health and economics, it focuses on trading history and prices. You use charts and tools to find patterns predicting future behavior.
What Is Short Selling?
Short selling is a strategy where you borrow shares from a broker, sell them right away, and hope to buy back cheaper later. You return the shares and keep the profit if prices drop, but lose if they rise. It lets you profit from declines and is used for speculating or hedging.
The Bottom Line
To wrap this up, a zero uptick is when an asset trades at the same price as the last trade but higher than the one before that. These patterns hint at short-term momentum, liquidity, and behavior. As a trader or investor, spotting them improves your technical analysis, short-selling approaches, and understanding of price action.
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