← All concepts
Stop Hunt
A deliberate push into a stop-loss cluster to trigger forced orders before the real move begins.
What it is
A stop hunt (or stop run) is the market mechanically seeking the liquidity that resting stop orders provide. It looks like a breakout, lasts seconds to minutes, and reverses once the orders are consumed. It isn't a conspiracy — it's how large size gets filled.
Why it matters
If your stop sits where everyone else's does — right below the obvious low — you ARE the liquidity. Structure-based stops with a buffer, or entries taken after the hunt, keep you off the menu.
NQ example REAL SCENARIO
NQ grinds toward yesterday's low for an hour, spikes through it 9 points in 40 seconds, and instantly V-reverses — a textbook hunt of the stops parked under the level.