Realtime Quotes: Mostly Harmless

Lots of chatter today about the arrival of free, realtime stock quotes on major websites. For example, Google, the Wall Street Journal and CNBC have all added realtime quotes to their services.

That's nice. Given that world operates in realtime, it's nice to see that more of the online financial world is too. Other than that, however, realtime quotes are mostly harmless. The days of most sane investors thinking they can do anything meaningful with realtime quotes are blessedly past.

Comments

[billb:]

Hrm. Missed this. Where are real time quotes available on the Google?

2008 Jun 02 02:29 PM

[Froddo:]

Some of Googles quotes are real-time, for example the indicies for NASDAQ, Dow Jones and S&P. NASDAQ prices are also real-time but if the trade was not done on NASDAQ then they are delayed by 15 mins.

Best to read the Google's explanation:
www.google.com/help/st...

2008 Jun 03 02:54 AM

[Stockholder...:]

While they claim to be real-time quotes, they are not. There is no bid and asked, only last trade. Last trade is history, not real-time. They are not real-time in that they do not tell the price now - that is in the bid and ask.

2008 Jun 03 10:06 AM