Does anyone know if there are any spreadbetting firms that have a DDE link with their software? I have a spreadsheet that needs manually updating but real time feeds would be so much better. Just wondered if it was possible. Someone suggested looking at realtime data (Bloomie or Reuters for example) and just linking those in and then adding on any diffenece in the price but this is really inaccurate and quite often the SBs prices are alittle different. Anyone else have this problem?
sidewinder
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Never seen one to be honest as most of the firms seem to want to be platform independent. It's probably not too hard to build a .NET app that could to the price feed grab and publish, but there'd have to be a good market for the product before anyone (like me 
) would spend any time on it.
) would spend any time on it.Is this a massive job to do then? I can create spreadsheets to an average level, nothing hugely technical. Couple of macros (really basic) is about as complicated as it gets. I cant believe that it hasnt been created already to be honest, surely people want real time prices? How difficult would it be to do this? I didnt actually realise it was possible.
sidewinder
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It's not a massive job, but the game is if you sell it it has to be supported. Then if the spread betting firm makes a change to their price feed yada yada....
To be honest I'm from a futures exchange background and all this spread betting lark isn't something I've had time for until now. From a few chats I've had it seems that a good number of the firms use the same platform underneath, so there might be some mileage in an app as the internal API's should be the same.
I'll have an ask around, as some of my old exchange mates are working the other side of the sb trading screens and ask them what's possible.
To be honest I'm from a futures exchange background and all this spread betting lark isn't something I've had time for until now. From a few chats I've had it seems that a good number of the firms use the same platform underneath, so there might be some mileage in an app as the internal API's should be the same.
I'll have an ask around, as some of my old exchange mates are working the other side of the sb trading screens and ask them what's possible.
If you want real time prices for US stocks, options and futures have a look at http://www.opentick.com. They have an RTD Excel link which should be better than DDE. It is very cheap for US stocks.
OpenTick lags a bit sometimes (maybe in range 1 -10 secs) compared to InteractiveBrokers feed, but will probably still be more timely than provided by a spread betting co.
OpenTick lags a bit sometimes (maybe in range 1 -10 secs) compared to InteractiveBrokers feed, but will probably still be more timely than provided by a spread betting co.
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Thats brilliant thanks for doing that. I am reasonably desperate to get some way of real time pricing into my sheet. My risk management is severly lacking to be honest. I am only 22 and have been trading for a couple of years now, I win a lot more than I lose trade wise, but I occasionally go through fazes where I lose a certain amount and then make irrational decisions trying to make money back. The thing is I know i shouldnt be doing it but I just do it anyway. Need to work on the discipline side so have put limits into my sheet and a macro making the whole sheet turn red for 5 seconds if I stand to lose more than my set amount (7.5% usually). Maybe you have suggestions for the risk side?
sidewinder
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I'll mention that as well. I'll report back when I've any more info. Anyway it's pub o'clock now :cheesy:
sidewinder
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Still working on this. Seems most of the people I want to talk to are off sunning themselves somewhere, the lucky gits! From the few bods I did manage to chat to, they all drew a blank.
One chap who was doing some back end work for www.spreadbetcheck.com said they'd been in discussion with various companys. Whilst a few companies used the same underlying platform, and so a common API, they generally didn't want punters near it and you could forget DDE etc.
That said I'll keep looking. It's a fast moving business it seems and new products are arriving every day.
One chap who was doing some back end work for www.spreadbetcheck.com said they'd been in discussion with various companys. Whilst a few companies used the same underlying platform, and so a common API, they generally didn't want punters near it and you could forget DDE etc.
That said I'll keep looking. It's a fast moving business it seems and new products are arriving every day.
Thanks v much for looking into this. Still shocked that it isnt offeredx, Im sure some of the "serious" traders must be wanting to use this??? Might be a stupid question but why dont they want people to have live prices available in a spreadsheet? To me it seems like they would have something on offer that none of the other companies have. Oh well. Thanks for getting back to me.
sidewinder
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From what I've seen, Spread Betting hasn't been considered a serious thing in the wider markets. I must admit until I started looking I always thought it was all sports bets etc. That's obviously changing now, so I wouldn't be surprised if some proper tools start appearing.
Not sure where you've looked or what you mean by proper tools, but some of the platforms are the best I've seen.
sidewinder
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More thinking of being able to hook up trading frontends such as TT, RTS and Pats, so all the risk etc can me managed. Get that sorted and some of the banks would probably lift their bans on spread betting.
Thanks v much for the advice! Actually tried the web query and it works reasonably well, only problem is it will only update every 1 minute and live i need to try and get live updates. Also need prices from the SB firm i am using to make my position details accurate. Doesnt look like this is going to be possible for a while.
A Dashing Blade
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To stop people arbing them (serious).
DB,
To recap. On a very basic level, an arbitrage will exist if an instrument can be bought (sold) at a lower (higher) price in one place and simultaneously sold (bought) at a higher (lower) price in another place. I doubt you are referring to an index here, eg FTSE, DAX.
Presumably, you are referring to the “exotic” side of spreadbetting. The question is, why does it exist? I’m sure it can’t be attributed to a (relative) lack of expertise.
Can you give an example?
But perhaps the arbitrage is illusory. For example, assume the market is quoting 109-110 but SpivSB is showing 111-112. Obviously an arb opportunity – buy 10, sell 11. But the two sides are not fungible. Opposite sides could be opened in two accounts (market and SB) predicated on convergence but this isn’t automatic here. Why should it be?
I expect your usual expert explanation.
Grant.
To recap. On a very basic level, an arbitrage will exist if an instrument can be bought (sold) at a lower (higher) price in one place and simultaneously sold (bought) at a higher (lower) price in another place. I doubt you are referring to an index here, eg FTSE, DAX.
Presumably, you are referring to the “exotic” side of spreadbetting. The question is, why does it exist? I’m sure it can’t be attributed to a (relative) lack of expertise.
Can you give an example?
But perhaps the arbitrage is illusory. For example, assume the market is quoting 109-110 but SpivSB is showing 111-112. Obviously an arb opportunity – buy 10, sell 11. But the two sides are not fungible. Opposite sides could be opened in two accounts (market and SB) predicated on convergence but this isn’t automatic here. Why should it be?
I expect your usual expert explanation.
Grant.
A Dashing Blade
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Speed of updates on the trading platform has to be taken into account (no idea how often the sb companies update their prices) vis a vis speed of the underlying market, partic over figures + the big firms will have knowledge of the larger flows/orders that are going through their books.
ie it may not be an instantaneous "lock-in" trade, but knowledge of how close the market is to triggering some big stops is gonna be useful.
The sb co's are (presumably) going to be trying to match supply/demand of orders going accross their own books (ie just take the bid/ask spread), this can be different to that in the "real" market.
Also, things don't have to be 100% fungible. As long as they must/should converge at some point, as long as you can wear the margin funding then it should work out ok.
Finally, traders may simply want to buy a cheap or sell an expensive asset looking to leg into the other side of a spread at a later date.
ie it may not be an instantaneous "lock-in" trade, but knowledge of how close the market is to triggering some big stops is gonna be useful.
The sb co's are (presumably) going to be trying to match supply/demand of orders going accross their own books (ie just take the bid/ask spread), this can be different to that in the "real" market.
Also, things don't have to be 100% fungible. As long as they must/should converge at some point, as long as you can wear the margin funding then it should work out ok.
Finally, traders may simply want to buy a cheap or sell an expensive asset looking to leg into the other side of a spread at a later date.