Data & Trading Tools

This section includes information about providers of real-time data, charting and analysis software packages that are designed specifically for the private investor. Given the synergies between these services, a number provide real-time data plus charting and analysis software, whilst other firms concentrate on the software solely.

Ready to check out the services available? Click on the company icons below for a full description and details of how to subscribe or read on for more background information.

Real-time Data
Access to real-time data allows you to react immediately to market movements as they happen.

Real-time data providers are in the business of supplying real-time data services of varying degrees of complexity, designed for different sections of the trading community.

Liffe charges a monthly exchange fee for the dissemination of its real-time data. This fee is collected by the real-time data provider along with a subscription fee for their package (this usually relates to the delivery mechanism for the real-time data).

Trading Tools
There are a number of factors that contribute to the movement of futures and options prices, but many believe that the most important is a significant movement in the underlying share price or index.

Generally, the stockmarket investor tends to be either a fundamental analyst or a technical analyst.

Looking at the fundamentals of a company's business such as industry and company background, profit statements and balance sheets is helpful, but this information may not give you the full picture.

Increasingly however, the more serious private investor is beginning to appreciate that the study of past share price behaviour in different market conditions and the resulting market behaviour is also important. In reality, you should consider both fundamental and technical analysis when trading.

A variety of relatively inexpensive software packages are available for use on a standard personal computer. These enable you to monitor and track share price movements and make trading decisions. In addition it is useful for practising and learning from the past.

Advances in personal computer technology have also been key in the development of easy to use technical analysis packages, often associated with providing a variety of price charts and other technical indicators on a wide variety of shares.

The use of these packages is not a substitute for formulating your own investment strategy when making trading decisions. Trading tools merely assist in the process of estimating the likely profit or loss outcome in different market conditions.

Click on the logos above to find out about the products and services on offer.