Ask Price
The lowest price at which a seller is willing to sell a security at a given moment.
What is Ask Price?
The ask price (also called the offer price) is the minimum price a seller is willing to accept for a security, currency, or other financial instrument. It appears alongside the bid price—the highest price a buyer will pay—to form the two-sided quote for any tradable asset. The difference between the ask and bid is the bid-ask spread, which represents the transaction cost for an immediate trade and is the primary source of revenue for market makers. On equity exchanges, the national best offer (NBO) is the lowest ask price quoted across all venues. Retail market orders typically execute at or near the ask when buying. In thinly traded or illiquid markets, the ask price can be significantly higher than the last sale price, signaling wider spreads and higher transaction costs.
Example
Apple (AAPL) is quoted at $185.20 bid / $185.22 ask. A retail investor placing a market buy order will immediately pay $185.22—the ask price. The $0.02 spread is captured by the market maker or liquidity provider. On a 100-share order, the spread cost is $2.00.
Source: Investopedia — Ask Price