A transaction executed at a price higher than the immediately preceding transaction for the same security. Upticks indicate that buyers are willing to pay progressively higher prices, reflecting positive momentum in the short term. The term is also associated with the uptick rule, a regulation designed to restrict short selling to situations where the last trade was an uptick.
Example
“The stock traded on an uptick at $54.32 after the previous print at $54.25, allowing the short seller to execute under the alternative uptick rule.”