What can market orders indicate about a trader's intentions?

Market orders are designed to execute trades immediately at the current market price, reflecting a trader's intention to transact without delay. When traders place market orders, they often do so without disclosing their broader trading strategies or objectives, as these orders do not indicate the specifics behind the trade — such as whether the trader is looking to enter or exit a position, or their anticipated holding period. This lack of detail can create ambiguity regarding the trader's true intentions in the market, which is why the option about masking trading intentions is appropriate.

Unlike limit orders, which specify a particular price at which a trader is willing to buy or sell and can provide more insight into their strategy, market orders don’t provide any details other than the intent to execute a trade immediately. As such, they can contribute to any confusion regarding the trader's motivations, especially in the context of larger market movements or liquidity conditions, where the reasons behind executing such orders might be more strategic and not immediately evident.

The other options suggest functionalities of market orders that do not align with their primary nature of ensuring immediate execution, further reinforcing why the focus on masking intentions is the most relevant characteristic of market orders.