rejected: this stock is not available to borrow in ThinkOrSwim

[BobMcG]

I'm very new to trading and I am encountering this issue frequently in paper money while trying to learn the software. I start a trade and buy in at market price with a stop limit and stop loss set. When I see indications that the stock will most likely not trend upwards as I had hoped, I attempt to lower the "Stop Limit" to just above my "Buy" price. I get the response that, "Rejected: This stock is not available to borrow. if you want us to try to locate it for you, please call our trade desk." I have attached a screen shot displaying, the purchase price, 50 shares, and the attempted lowering of the stop limit and the rejection popup I receive. Guidance and information will be greatly appreciated.

 

[MerryDay]

rejected: this stock is not available to borrow
The most common scenarios that cause this message to occur:

1. If you already own the stock. Then the only reason for the: rejected: this stock is not available to borrow​

Would be that you already have some type of sell order on that stock.​

Attempting to put TWO sell orders on the same stock is not possible:​

https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/cant-enter-two-sell-orders-same-stock/​

​

2. If attempting to buy, rejected: this stock is not available to borrow can occur when it really is not available:​

• the stock may be Hard to Borrow (HTB)
• the stock may be Not available to Borrow (NTB)
• There may not be liquidity to borrow shares for you.

mod note:
Another Reason For: rejected: this stock is not available to borrow when attempting to buy:

More and more stocks are becoming unavailable for self-directed trades as brokers redefine what they determine to be risky: prone to fraud, and market manipulation.​

Big firms especially are playing it safe.​

Rules from the SEC and FINRA push brokers to keep newer traders away from stuff that’s too volatile, so restricting access (requiring a phone call) is their way of protecting people.​

https://www.finra.org/investors/insights/pump-and-dump-scams​

​

@BobMcG
The only way to know for sure, is to call the support desk and found out why.
Be sure to come back and tell us what you find out.