I've always noticed the "15 minute" time delay on every online graph. Why can't it be in real time?

Are there programs that actually give real time data?

Best Answer

Oldman answered a question in General Market.
2775 points

Oldman answered one year ago …

Yes, there are real-time quote/graphing services, and they cost a good amount for subscriptions, and they generally have an agreement with subscribers that the DATA will not be republished in any form. The graphs are usually delayed a bit (even real-time, for futures, candlesticks and other exotic "dogi" measures, these take some milliseconds to compute and transfer, even with broadband), so real time depends upon your servers' link to the exchange. Options spreads and CME trading are also available, real-time, but the subscriptions are pretty steep.

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Answers

EthanR answered a question in General Market.
4085 points

EthanR answered one year ago …

If you sign up with Fidelity and trade a lot, they will give you access to their Active Trader Pro software. This will give you real time quotes and streaming of whatever indices, stocks, or ETF's you would like to include.

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RobertW answered a question in General Market.
142 points

RobertW answered one year ago …

The answer is that it can be in real time if you are willing to commit something for that to happen. One is to pay someone for real time services. Another, as EthanR mentions above is to commit to a certain amount of trades per time or have a certain amount of money in your account or both. It costs a little more money for real time and someone has to pay for it.

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KenLong answered a question in General Market.
244 points

KenLong answered one year ago …

Most free and inexpensive charting services are delayed.
However, many brokerages have real time data available for free, it just depends on what you consider real time. Are minute bars close enough? Or do you need real tick by tick daytrading data.
Generally any continuously updating real time data is enough for me, I've never had any need to work inside the minute bars.
This kind of real time data is available at many brokerages for free.

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