esignal - market depth basics/troubleshooting
how do i add/remove the columns in my market depth window?
right click the header and uncheck/check the box you would like to remove or add the field for.
the depth meter
the market depth window displays the depth meter by default. the depth meter is a colored visual representation of supply and demand as represented by bid and ask prices at the top five levels.
a market depth window opens with no data
are you receiving updates for other stock, index, and/or options symbols in a depth window?
if yes, you may have reached the maximum depth window allowance of 12.try closing some depth windows until you have 12 or fewer active.
however, if you need more than 12 depth windows simultaneously, this is possible although this functionality requires an extra entitlement which is the market depth expanded symbols at $25 per month. for more information, please contact customer service.
if no, click on the green ok at the top of the window to force a refresh. if that still doesn't work, then exit esignal and the data manager. start the data manager and esignal; then try to open a new market depth window. addionally you'll want to verify that you are using a valid symbol and ensure that the appropriate tab at the bottom of the window is selected.
why the ecn tabs (singlebook, arca) at the bottom of window may not work
the ecn books are not added to your account by default. you must go to account maintenance* and choose "ecn books (ecn)" in the product change area. singlebook(formerly island) and arca are currently available once you add it to your account. other ecn's like instinet are being worked on.
to visit account maintenance click here, then complete these four steps:
Enter your Username and password; click Submit.
Under Product Changes, click on Add/Cancel Product Services.
Select the product you wish to make changes to; click Next.
Under Market Depth, check the box next to ECN's, and click Next.
Then click OK Return to the Maintenance Menu.
Finally click Logout, and you are done!
*Account Maintenance is available under the Customer Support tab on the menu bar in versions 6.0 and higher. ECN's are only available to add with eSignal version 7.2 and higher.
What the Action Column in the Market Depth Ticker Window Indicates
This is an indicator that shows how a particular market maker has entered their order. If you see an "a" that means they have entered a new order, "u" means they have updated or modified an existing order and "d" means they have deleted or cancelled their order.
How to Justify the Columns
Right click the header and highlight the field you would like to justify. Use the "Align" boxes to justify the column you've selected. When finished click the OK button.
How to Delete or Add Fields in the Quote Area
To delete a field, simply highlight that field in the quote area and hit the "scissors" or cut icon on your toolbar and that field will go away. You can bring that field or add others by double-clicking anywhere in that quote region and dragging the field header back into that area. Don't forget to save the window.
Add Markers for Each Market Maker
You can add markers for each Market Maker by right-clicking in the Market Depth window, and selecting Market Makers. This menu allows you to assign different colors to individual MM's. We certainly understand that the single-click is nice for a quick marker, and we hope to add that feature back soon.
how to filter the bid and ask prices according to a dollar value or percentage
you can turn on price filtering to accomplish this. right click in the market depth window, then choose price filtering. you will see the price filtering dialog box. in there place a check mark next to "do filtering" and input a value in one or more of the corresponding boxes. see image below for an example.
add or remove the time and sales ticker or depth meter
right click within the market depth window and select add/remove either one. if they are currently shown you will not see an option to add them and if they are currently not shown you will not see an option to remove them.
how to remove the tabs on the bottom left corner of chart (i.e., montage, island and arca)
at this moment, there is no way to remove these tabs. we are looking at ways to give clients the ability to customize this in a future release.
removing some market makers in the market depth window
to do this right click in the market depth window, then choose market makers. you will then see the :market makers preferences" dialog box. place a check mark in the boxes next to the market makers you would like to hide in the "hide market makers" column. see image below for example.
show hidden quotes
once the market maker is 'hidden' it will no longer display in the ticker of the depth window. in the ticker properties menu you can add a checkmark next to 'show hidden quotes' if you wish to display the hidden market maker in the ticker window.
why exchanges in market depth for options show a "c" for closed when bid & ask is updating
exchanges will remain closed if there are no trades for a particular option. bid & ask will continue to update as this data is sent through.
the sr button on the title bar of market depth window
sr is a secondary linking button which allows you to link the interior of the window to other windows when using regional equities. for instance, if you have ibm in the market depth window and click on the pse (pacific stock exchange) quote, you will send ibm=p to any window which has the same color as the secondary link.
headings "# inside" and "inside size"
the new headings are "# inside" and "inside size". the "# inside" heading indicates how many times a particular market maker hits inside the market while the window is up and running. the "inside size" column displays a cumulative number of lots made available each time a market maker has been on the inside.
How to Add Additional Headings in the Market Depth Window
Right click in the heading and a dialog window will pop up. The columns checked off are the headings that are currently displayed in the window, click in the box next to the heading to add the new column. To remove a heading, remove the check mark next to the heading you want to remove.
Inside the Market
Inside the market is defined as anything in between the highest Bid and the lowest Ask.
Why the number in the Inside Columns Does Not Reflect the Entire Day
The inside information is stored locally on your PC. It only reflects the data in the Market Depth window from the time the window was opened until changes are made. Once the window is closed or the symbol is changed, the data is no longer collected.
What does the "u" or "o" in front of the Market Maker IDs represent?
The four letter IDs are capitalized for NASDAQ market participants and are in lower case for non-participants. Non-participants come in two types. The "u" in front designates them as UTP (Unlisted Trading Participants) and applies to ones such as cinn, arcx, and chxe. The "o" in front designates them as OMDF (OTC Montage Data Feed) and applies to ones such as inca and ntrd.
What does "THRD" data on the Market Maker IDs represent ?
Third Market is the Nasdaq top of book (BBO) as reported to SIAC for listed issues. We only show the top of book from NASD in this window. ARCA, ISLD, BRUT, etc. are represented in THRD if they are the inside from NASD perspective.
Are ALL the orders sent from each of the books?
We send the Top 50 orders on each side of the book (50 top ask orders, 50 top bid orders). While other orders likely exist, most are out of the money and not of interest to most traders. This rule applies to Island, Arca and TotalView.