Imbalance of orders,

Definition of Imbalance of orders:

1. A condition where the number of buy or sell orders is grossly mismatched, resulting in a wide spread between the bid and ask. An imbalance of orders can be caused by any source of investor nervousness but most frequently can be traced to news or a rumor affecting the security. Because order imbalances impair market liquidity, they can trigger a trading halt to prevent panic buying or selling.