Mastering the Markets with Real-time Data

When analyzing the market to make smart trades, there’s no substitute for reliable and comprehensive real-time data. Big institutions know this, and they pay a premium for sophisticated services. But if you’re with a small company, or you’re on your own, how do you access this information at an affordable price?

Trading on anything but real-time data can be costly if you’re too late to detect a bullish trend or a bearish fall within a stock. Creating real-time charts can provide updated information that can tell you when the stock is starting to lag or when it is may begin a bullish run.

Real-time data can be incredibly useful to active traders. You can observe and react to stock news as a story breaks. On the contrary, looking at delayed data, would really only be useful if you’re looking to take a longer-term position on stocks. These investors rely more on company valuation than minute-by-minute price changes to make trading decisions, and they’ll hold a stock for weeks, months or even years, depending on the potential of a company stock.

To get that real-time data you need, it’s important to find an information aggregator that works best for you and in your budget. The tool you choose to use for the most comprehensive information can make the difference between a good trading day and a bad one. Ideally, you’re using data that can be accessed right from your personal computer too, and that it offers not only real-time data, but historical data for securities market analysis as well other additional market indicators.

Finding one source for your real-time data can be keep your research simple and your budget within limits. An aggregator like DTN IQFeed®, offers access to tier 1 domestic market data direct from the exchanges; streaming quotes, charts and news covering the domestic equities, foreign currency exchange and domestic and international futures markets; and also stock and option quotes from the Nasdaq, NYSE, AMEX, Canadian and all equity option exchanges.

Another additional benefit to using real-time data is that you can also see – not just the stock prices – the stock volumes that are traded during the day. The real-time volume can also show the number of people in the market who are interested in buying or selling a particular security; this volume data can show whether or not to consider an upward tick in a stock’s price. If that upward movement is accompanied by larger volumes, it can be assumed that the price will move even higher as those volumes continue to push the stock’s price.

IQFeed is a comprehensive option to look at if you are looking for a source of real-time data. The information comes from the DTN ticker plant and data centers, so it’s as fast and reliable as it gets. For more information on it, click here.