Quote

Quotes are necessary to inform investors about the prices of securities. The information contained in a quote is sometimes limited; for example, it may not disclose which market makers are bidding for or offering the security, whether there are limit orders on the security, or the size of potential trades at a particular price. In other words, quotes do not give the viewer access to the "order book" showing who has an interest in a security and at what price. But quotes do give traders and investors a basic idea of how a security is doing.