How to Read a Signal
Every signal published by Ordertune contains all the information you need to place an order — ticker, timing, price reference, and the exact order type to use. This page explains each field.
Signal Anatomy
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Ticker | The NASDAQ-100 stock symbol (e.g., AAPL, NVDA, MSFT) |
| Strategy | Which of the 9 strategies generated this signal (Roman numeral, e.g., III) |
| Signal Date | The date the signal was generated (previous close) |
| Entry Date | The trading day on which you place the order |
| Ref. Close | The closing price on Signal Date — used as the reference for limit calculations |
| RSI | 2-period RSI at signal time — context for entry strength |
| 2d Return | 2-day price return leading into the signal — context for momentum or mean-reversion setup |
| Entry Mode | The order type to use at entry — see below |
| Limit Price | For limit-based entries: the exact price level to submit |
Entry Modes
Each signal specifies an entry mode that maps directly to a broker order type.
next_open_market — Market on Open
Order type:
MKT OPG(Alpaca) /MKT OPG(IBKR)
The order is submitted as a Market on Open order. You participate in the opening auction at whatever price clears. This guarantees a fill but not a specific price.
When to use: Strategies that prioritize fill certainty over price precision.
next_open_limit — Limit on Open
Order type:
LMT OPG(Alpaca) /LMT OPG(IBKR)
The order is submitted as a Limit on Open order. It only fills if the opening auction price is at or below your limit. If the open is higher than the limit, the order is cancelled — no fill, no position.
When to use: Deep-dip strategies where entry at the right price is critical.
A next_open_limit order that does not fill at the open is cancelled. The signal dashboard will show fill_confirmed: false. Do not attempt to chase the fill intraday.
signal_close — Market on Close
Order type:
MOC DAY(Alpaca) /MOC DAY(IBKR)
The order executes at the closing auction on the Signal Date (the same day the signal is generated). You act on the signal the same evening — before the close.
When to use: Intraday and same-day strategies that require closing-price entries.
signal_day_limit — Limit on Close
Order type:
LOC DAY(IBKR)
A Limit on Close order that only participates in the closing auction if the stock's price touches the limit at some point during the final minutes before close. If the price never reaches the limit, the order does not fill.
When to use: Precision entry strategies where the limit is a key level.
LOC orders are an IBKR-specific order type. Alpaca does not support LOC natively — for Alpaca, Ordertune submits a standard limit order that expires at end of day.
Fill Confirmation
The fill_confirmed field tells you whether an entry order was confirmed as filled.
fill_confirmed | Meaning |
|---|---|
true | The broker confirmed a fill. Position is open and tracking. |
false | The order was not filled (limit not triggered, or connection issue). No position is open. |
pending | The order was submitted but confirmation has not yet been received. |
If broker auto-execution is disabled, fill_confirmed stays false until you manually mark the order as filled in the dashboard.
Exit Signals
An exit signal closes an existing open position. Ordertune generates exits via several mechanisms:
| Exit Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Strength exit | A secondary strategy signal on the same ticker indicates exhaustion |
| Take profit | Price reached the pre-defined profit target |
| Stop loss | Price crossed the stop level set at entry |
| Max bars | The maximum holding period for this strategy was reached |
| Trailing stop | A trailing stop tightened and triggered |
| Rebalance | A portfolio rebalance required closing the position |
Exit signals use the same order types as entries — the platform shows you whether to submit a MOC, MOC DAY, or limit order.