Ask Price
The lowest price a seller in the order book is currently willing to accept for a security.
Formula
Best Ask = lowest sell limit price resting in the order book
Unit
₹
In depth
The ask, also called the offer, is the price at which you can buy immediately, so it is the real cost of entering a long position right now. Like the bid it is only the top of a stack: a large buy order eats through successive ask levels, each worse than the last. The difference between the best bid and best ask is the spread, and it is a genuine cost that no fee schedule shows. A common misreading is comparing an entry at the ask with an exit at the bid and blaming the loss on the market, when part of it was the spread paid on both legs.
Worked example
The best ask is ₹250.10 for 500 shares, then ₹250.30 for 1,500. A market buy of 1,000 shares fills 500 at 250.10 and 500 at 250.30, an average of ₹250.20 — ₹100 more than 1,000 shares at the best ask alone.
Illustrative figures, chosen so the arithmetic is easy to follow. Not a live price and not a valuation of any company.
Educational reference only
This entry explains what “Ask Price” means. It is not investment advice and not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Any numbers above are illustrative, not live prices, and nothing here predicts price direction or rates a stock. Consider your own circumstances and consult a SEBI-registered investment adviser before acting.