Why Are Share Prices in InvestNaija X Alerts Different From the Prices Displayed in the App?

This is a very common situation in investing apps—so nothing is “wrong” with your account. The difference comes from how prices are sourced, timed, and displayed.
Let’s break it down clearly so you understand what’s happening inside your InvestNaija app.
🔹 1. X (Twitter) Alerts ≠ Live Trading Price
The price you get in X alerts is usually:
A trigger-based notification (e.g., “price has reached ₦X”)
Pulled from a data feed at intervals (not every second)
Sometimes rounded or delayed slightly
Price alerts are designed to notify you, not to show the exact real-time market price.
👉 So by the time you open the app, the price may have already moved.
🔹 2. App Shows “Last Traded Price” (More Accurate)
Inside the app, what you see is typically:
The last executed trade price
Updated more frequently (closer to real-time)
Still not always exact (because markets move fast)
Even then, the price is indicative, meaning it can change within seconds.
🔹 3. Timing Difference (This Is the Main Cause)
This is the biggest reason:
Alert sent at 10:00:05 AM
You open app at 10:01 AM
Market has already moved
Even a few seconds delay can cause price differences—especially on active stocks.
Also, some systems update prices every few seconds or minutes, not continuously.
🔹 4. Bid vs Ask vs Last Price
Another hidden factor:
Alert may trigger at one price type
App may display another
There are 3 prices in the market:
Bid (buyers’ price)
Ask (sellers’ price)
Last price (last trade)
These are never exactly the same.
🔹 5. Market Movement Is Continuous
Stock prices don’t stay still.
Between:
When the alert is generated
When it is delivered
When you check the app
👉 The price may already have changed.
✅ Simple Example
Alert: “GTCO hit ₦45”
You open app → see ₦45.50
Nothing is wrong—the price just moved after the alert.
🔑 Bottom Line
The difference happens because:
Alerts are not real-time exact prices
App shows more updated market data
Market prices change every second
Different price types (bid/ask/last)
✔️ What You Should Do
Use alerts as a signal, not final price
Always confirm price inside the app before buying/selling
If accuracy matters, use limit orders, not market orders