I am trying to use their demo and can't seem to figure out how to add a stock to their list. Is the demo trading limited to only those stocks shown when the demo starts up. I appreciate any replies and regards to all.
It's better if you read the guide. It's huge, more than a 1000 pages but you dont have to read it from cover to cover at the start. Just browse through the topics of interest, that's what i did. Besides reading the information without practicing it, i ll end up forgetting it. It's better to read the topics that are of importance to you first, then build up on them by practicing them. Otherwise it's going to be a very slow cycle. One way to add a stock is to click in the contract column, under the listed stocks you have mentioned and to type the symbol of the stock then press tab or enter and select "stock". The symbol wil then appear in the contracts column. Make sure you type one which is not already listed. Hope that helped. The TWS is not straight forward but once you pick up on using it, it is very powerful.
You can add a new stock in demo. I just tried. Click the row in which you wnat to add the new stock in the column "Underlying" (in the default configuration it's the first column), type in a ticker, click Tab (as Codex suggested) or Enter and click "stock" in teh drop-down menu that pops up. There may be a few selections like listings in different countries. Also there may be "stock (smart)" (aggregates best bid and offer prices and sizes across exchanges and, unless configured ootherwise, trades are executed via IB's proprietary "smart routing") and "stock (direct)" (you can select exchanges from which you want to see quotes). If you don't see what you want, under "Search by company name" you can type in a part of the company name and cliock "Find" button. You can also right-click the desired row, in the menu click "Ticker..." type in ticker and further follow the same path as above. I think most of TWS is intuitive enough without documentation. Just click or right-click everything and you fill fin 90% of the features (some may need to be anabled from "Configuration" before they are accessible). When you need documentation is when you want to understand how complex orders work and how to read reports (if you feeel you need to understand everything there).
Thanks people. I finally figured it out by my pitiful little self. I never could find the instructions but I'll look again. Regards to all.
Still looking at the demo. Today I tried to short two different stocks and got a message that they were not readily available for shorting. So how can I tell if a stock is available before I try to short it. Regards and thanks for your replies.
There's a list here: http://individuals.interactivebrokers.com/en/p.php?f=shortableStocks (currently 9727 US stocks on the list). Via acct management there is also a list you can update more frequently (but you'll have to be a client) and some added info. (video on that here: http://ibkb.interactivebrokers.com/node/1073 ) In addition, on the TWS you can add the short availability column. Finally, you could avail yourself to the AQS marketplace depending onr your size and if holding longs enter our stock yield enhancement program to possibly lend out their shares. (info for both is on the short sale link I gave above under the appropriate tabs).
Thanks def. I intend to be a client shortly. Too bad I don't have live quotes on the demo. Is there a way to change the first choice on the order from limit to market so I don't have to do it manually as I type each trade on the platform. I'm a daytrader and I usually like to have 9 possible round turn trades available at all times. Regards
Set up hot keys. Easier and faster. the ones I personally use most that I set up are q and s to move my prices up and down quickly.
For the last two days, I've been practicing with the demo in spite of the fact that the quotes are not current, simply to get used to putting in the trades. My entire strategy is shorting so this is important to me. Yesterday I exercised 7 shorts. Only two worked. Today I shorted 10 stocks and none worked. Is this possible on the real platform or does the demo have some kind of quirk.