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The lowest price a seller will accept for an asset.
The ask (or offer) is the lowest price at which someone is currently willing to sell. When you place a market order to buy, you usually pay the ask. Together with the bid, it forms the quote you see on any trading screen.
If a stock shows bid $99.90 and ask $100.00, buying right now costs about $100.00 per share.
The gap between the ask and the bid (the spread) is a hidden cost every time you trade. Popular stocks have tiny spreads; small or illiquid ones can have wide spreads.