In simple terms
To hit the target means price reached the objective selected for a trade or analysis. A useful target identifies the level, instrument, and time horizon and may follow a technical rule, risk-reward ratio, or valuation.
Target and order are different
A target is a level in the plan. A take-profit order is an instruction intended to produce an exit. Price can reach a target when no order exists, and a trader may take profit before or after that level.
Even with a limit order, a quote or candle high does not guarantee a complete fill. Market side, available quantity, queue priority, time in force, and venue rules matter. The execution record is the confirmation.
Limit
Reaching a target does not prove that every part of the analysis was correct or that the trader obtained that price. It describes the relation between price and an objective, not the actual economic result.
Sources
- CME Group, Trading Strategies in Your Trade Plan — distinguishes entry criteria, stops, and profit targets in an operating plan.
- Investor.gov, Types of Orders — explains different price and execution properties of market, limit, and stop orders.
- FINRA, Order Types — documents the chance that a limit order receives no execution.