In finance, a tick refers to the minimum price increment that a particular asset can move up or down. Tick size is the smallest amount that an asset can move in value. Tick size can vary depending on the asset class, exchange or market.
Tick size is often expressed in monetary terms, and the tick size for different assets can vary significantly. For example, the tick size for stocks on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is one cent, while for futures contracts, it can be as small as 0.25 cents.
The term “tick” can also refer to the number of trades occurring on a particular asset during a given period of time. Tick volume is a measure of how many trades have occurred for an asset during a specified time frame, usually a day. The size of the tick volume can be an indication of market liquidity and can be useful in technical analysis.