1Automatic halts from price moves
If a stock moves a set percentage from its reference within the day, trading in it pauses temporarily and then resumes. According to press reports of decree 681 of 2021, that is 10% on the main market and 5% on the SME market. Those are the percentages decree 681 set when it was issued, and the market segmentation changed from 1 September 2026, so check the actual limit for the stock today. It is separate from the daily price limit, which is further out and explained in Daily Price Limits.
2Halts by exchange or regulator decision
The Capital Market Law lets the EGX chairman halt dealing in a security when continued trading would harm the market or investors, stop orders aimed at manipulating prices, and cancel violating trades. The chairman of the Financial Regulatory Authority may take any of these steps too.
Such a halt has no fixed length. It can last minutes or much longer, depending on the reason and what the decision sets.
What to do when a stock is halted
Look for the reason in exchange announcements and company disclosures, and once trading resumes, check your orders in the stock, since registered orders may have been suspended as in the example.
Find out why
The disclosures page gathers company and exchange announcements, and the stock page shows a notice when trading in it is halted.
Check yourself
1. Under the Capital Market Law, who may halt a security when continued trading harms the market?
2. A decision-based halt for a material disclosure. How long does it last?
Summary
- There are automatic halts from price moves, and halts by exchange or regulator decision.
- The law allows a halt when continued trading would harm the market or investors; its length depends on the reason.
- Read the reason at its source, and check your orders once trading resumes.