Who Buys Your Stock When You Sell It Direct

When you sell a stock, the buyer is almost never your broker. Instead, your shares are purchased by another market participant—such as an individual retail trader, a large institution like a pension fund, or, most commonly, a . The Three Main Buyers

The exchange acts as a digital matchmaker using an to pair sellers with buyers. who buys your stock when you sell it

: Just like you, other individual investors around the world are placing "buy" orders through apps like Schwab or Fidelity. If their bid price matches your asking price, the exchange's computer system pairs you together instantly. How the "Match" Happens When you sell a stock, the buyer is almost never your broker