The basic steps to sell stock on Fidelity

To sell stock on Fidelity, log into your account, find the position you want to sell in your portfolio, click the sell button next to that holding, enter the number of shares you want to sell, choose your order type, and submit. The whole process takes about two minutes. Your shares will sell at the market price (or your specified price, depending on the order type you choose), and the cash will land in your account within one to three business days.

The exact steps depend on whether you're using Fidelity's website or mobile app, but both routes follow the same logic. You're telling Fidelity what you own, how much of it to sell, and under what conditions. Fidelity then sends that order to the market and executes it when the price matches what you've asked for.

Key Takeaways

  • You can sell stock through Fidelity's website or mobile app by navigating to your portfolio, selecting the position, and clicking sell.
  • Market orders sell immediately at the current price; limit orders sell only if the price reaches the level you set.
  • Cash from a stock sale typically appears in your account within one to three business days, though you can use it to buy other investments right away.
  • Selling triggers a taxable event if the stock has gained value, so consider the tax impact before you sell.

Selling through the Fidelity website

Log into your Fidelity account and go to the Positions tab or Portfolio section. You'll see a list of everything you own. Find the stock you want to sell, and click on it or look for a menu icon (usually three dots) next to the holding. Select "Sell" from the options that appear.

A sell order window will open. Enter the number of shares you want to sell. If you own 100 shares and want to sell all of them, type 100. If you want to sell only 30, type 30. Then choose your order type: Market or Limit. A market order sells at whatever the current price is right now. A limit order lets you set a minimum price — the stock will only sell if it reaches that price or higher. After you've chosen your order type and entered the details, review the order and click Confirm or Submit. That's it.

Selling through the Fidelity mobile app

Open the Fidelity app and tap the Positions or Portfolio tab at the bottom of the screen. Scroll to find the stock you want to sell and tap it. You'll see a Sell button near the top or bottom of the screen. Tap it.

The sell order screen will appear. Enter the number of shares, choose Market or Limit as your order type, and review the details. Tap Confirm or Submit to send the order. The mobile app works the same way as the website — the only difference is the layout and how you navigate to the sell button.

Market orders versus limit orders

A market order sells your shares immediately at the best available price right now. If you place a market order for 50 shares of a stock trading at $45, your order will execute at or very close to $45 per share. Market orders almost always fill completely and quickly, usually within seconds. The trade-off is that you don't control the exact price — it could be $44.98 or $45.02 depending on what buyers are offering at that exact moment.

A limit order lets you set a price floor. You tell Fidelity: "Sell my 50 shares, but only if the price is $46 or higher." If the stock never reaches $46, your order sits open until you cancel it or the market closes. If the stock hits $46, your order executes at that price or better. Limit orders give you control over price but no may provide the sale will happen. They're useful when you don't want to sell below a certain level, but they can leave you holding stock if the price never reaches your target.

When the cash from your sale appears in your account

After your order executes, the cash doesn't land in your account instantly. Fidelity follows a standard settlement period: your sale settles in T+2, meaning two business days after the trade date. If you sell on a Monday, the cash appears by Wednesday. If you sell on a Friday, it appears by Tuesday (Monday is a non-trading day). Weekends and market holidays extend the timeline.

Important: you can use the cash to buy other investments immediately, even before it officially settles. Fidelity lets you reinvest sale proceeds right away. However, if you withdraw the cash before settlement completes, you may trigger a good-faith violation if you don't have enough settled cash in your account. For most people, this isn't an issue, but it's worth knowing if you plan to sell and withdraw quickly.

Tax implications of selling stock

Selling stock is a taxable event. If you bought the stock at $30 and sold it at $50, you have a $20-per-share gain. That gain is taxable income in the year you sell, and the tax rate depends on how long you held the stock. If you held it for more than one year, it's a long-term capital gain, usually taxed at a lower rate (0%, 15%, or 20%, depending on your income). If you held it for one year or less, it's a short-term capital gain, taxed as ordinary income at your regular tax rate.

Fidelity will send you a 1099-B form at tax time showing all your sales for the year. You'll report the gains (or losses) on your tax return. If you sold at a loss, that loss can offset other gains or reduce your taxable income by up to $3,000 per year. Keep records of what you paid for the stock and when you bought it — you'll need that information to calculate your gain or loss.

Selling partial positions and fractional shares

You don't have to sell all of a stock at once. If you own 100 shares, you can sell 30 and keep 70. Just enter the number of shares you want to sell in the order window. Fidelity will execute the sale for that amount and leave the rest in your account.

If you own fractional shares (which can happen through dividend reinvestment or certain purchases), you can sell those too. Enter the exact number, including the decimal. For example, if you own 50.5 shares, you can sell 25.25 shares and keep 25.25. Fractional shares sell at the same price as whole shares, so there's no penalty for selling a partial position.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I try to sell more shares than I own?

Fidelity will reject the order or cap it at the number of shares you actually own. You can't sell shares you don't have. If you try to enter 150 shares but only own 100, the system will either show an error or automatically reduce the order to 100.

Can I cancel a sell order after I place it?

Yes, but only if it hasn't executed yet. If you placed a limit order and the stock hasn't reached your price, you can cancel it anytime before market close. Go to your Orders section, find the pending order, and click Cancel. If the order has already executed, it's too late — the shares are sold and the cash is on its way to your account.

Do I pay a commission to sell stock on Fidelity?

No. Fidelity doesn't charge commissions for buying or selling stocks, ETFs, or mutual funds. You pay no fee to execute the trade. Some mutual funds have transaction fees if you sell within a certain time window, but individual stocks and ETFs are commission-free.

What's the difference between selling and transferring shares?

Selling converts your shares to cash within your Fidelity account. Transferring moves shares to another brokerage or person without selling them. If you want to move shares to another account, use Fidelity's transfer feature instead of selling. Selling triggers taxes; transferring does not (unless you're giving shares away, which has different tax rules).

Can I sell stock after market hours?

You can place an order after market hours, but it won't execute until the market opens. If you place a market order at 7 p.m., it will execute the next morning at the opening price. Limit orders placed after hours will execute the next day if the price reaches your limit during regular trading hours.