Real-time quotes are a precise snapshot of market value for securities at that very moment in time.
They are extremely valuable information to active traders.
If you are an active trader, you need to know where your stocks stand minute-by-minute. This is because fluctuations up and down happen unpredictably and suddenly. The difference of a few cents could really make or break a trade.
Real-time quotes show the instantaneous price and volume for a security, including the best bid and ask price.
On the other hand, delayed quotes can be up to 10 to 15 minutes behind the instantaneous price posting. This could mean you are making decisions based on inaccurate data. You could lose out on micro-shifts in a security’s value, which could be costly!
Some financial platforms offer delayed data as a standard service. Others charge a price for real-time data.
Webull is a commission-free trading app that offers real-time data both for free and with a paid subscription, depending on what market data you are looking for.
Here's everything you need to know about Webull's real-time market data
Webull is a trading platform very well-known for the data they supply for more advanced traders.
They offer investors the ability to study real-time market data for U.S. markets free of charge. This is good information to have at your fingertips, especially if you are an active or day trader.
The data is available free for only U.S. markets. If you are looking for real-time data for global market, you will need to pay Webull a monthly subscription.
Depending on what market you are looking to get real-time data for, the subscription cost will change.
As a passive investor, you may not need to upgrade on Webull to real-time streaming for global securities.
Passive investors have a long-term portfolio of stocks and they don’t have a plan to buy or sell immediately. They can rely on delayed data to follow their portfolio because they give an overall ballpark how their investments are trending.
Day trading, in which investors buy and sell many times in one day, is very risky. The most successful investors rely on data and facts to make decisions, and keep emotions out of the equation. When you make fast moves, you might be falling into impulse decisions.
Delayed quotes are usually enough information for a casual investor who isn’t looking to time the market. For example, if a trader has a long-term portfolio of stocks and they don’t intend to sell immediately, they won't need up-to-the-second price information.
Webull offers real-time US market data free of charge. This data is more useful to active or day traders who are looking for up-to-the-minute quotations. Long-term or more passive investors generally do not care as much about having real-time data.
If you want access to real-time data outside of the US, you will have to pay for a monthly subscription. The cost varies based on what market you are looking for data from.