WHY ARE STOCK MARKET QUOTES DELAYED?
It is frustrating when you don’t know the answer to something and you can’t find it anywhere. That is the situation I am in while trying to research why stock market quotes are delayed anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes wherever you look.
I have been on Google searching for the answer a good half an hour and I can’t find the reason anywhere. No matter what I search for and how I string my words together, I can’t find any article or explanation on the Net.
Stock market quotes are always delayed on the TV ticker and practically anywhere you look online. Heck, I even have money in E*Trade and whenever I buy stocks online, I have to deal with the same thing making my trades with 20 minute old information.
It seems that online you can always upgrade your accounts and get real time quotes but every stock market site wants more money for this priviledge. When I did my search for the answer, all I found was website after website offering real time quotes once you pay your membership and belong to whatever they are selling.
The way I look at it, real time quotes vs. delayed quotes isn’t really such a big deal, especially if you are a long term investor. I mean, if you can’t stand the price going up 50 cents or so per share as you buy, you probably are buying the wrong stock in the first place. In some extreme situations it might be nice to have real time information such as when the market is in crisis mode or some terribly good news has just come out, but 99 days out of a 100 it won’t matter.
If you are looking for the best stocks to buy right now, real time quotes won’t do you any more good that quotes that are delayed 20 minutes. If you think you have a good stock, you should have found somthing with enough up side that it is worth buying now or 20 minutes from now. If you really need up to the minute stock quotes, you can always pay for them but I should would like to know why I have shell out more money to get them.
I think you answered your own question. The quotes are delayed so that the exchange itself can make money by charging investors for real time quotes.
It really isn’t a surprise that they would do this considering they are in the business of making money like everyone else.
Comment by Jamburglar — February 18, 2010 @ 11:25 pm
Won’t trading tools such as limit buys and stop losses help eliminate the disadvantage in delayed quotes? I mean, if you “know” the relevant range to where the price is going, then you should be able to place these orders and have them filled when they become available at those prices.
Comment by Lee — November 10, 2010 @ 2:52 pm
Yes, if you want to be sure of the price you get and you are not paying extra for real time quotes, limit buys and stop losses would be a good option. However, if you know you want the stock, the price may never hit the price you put in and the trade may never be executed.
Comment by Admin — November 10, 2010 @ 3:11 pm