An investor is seeking to buy shares of common stock from a market maker. The market maker provides a price to the investor. This price is known as the:

The bid price is the amount an investor is willing to pay to purchase shares. It represents the highest price that a buyer is prepared to offer for a stock, which is fundamentally different from the ask price, as it indicates demand rather than the selling price provided by the market maker.

The spread refers to the difference between the bid and ask prices. It is not a price itself but rather a measure of market liquidity and transaction cost. The spread can indicate how much a trader might earn or lose on a transaction but does not represent the price offered by the market maker.

An indication of interest (IOI) is a non-binding expression from a market participant indicating a desire to buy or sell a security. It does not represent a firm price or commitment but shows potential market interest. Therefore, it does not pertain to the actual price provided by the market maker.