TradeStation Alternatives for Investors

Discussion in 'Trading Software' started by KeyIG, Aug 1, 2006.

  1. KeyIG

    KeyIG

    TradeStation keeps raising their fees and have begun to transition to a full trading platform for active traders.

    I'm looking for a piece of charting software with an interface similar to TradeStation (workspaces, tabs, etc) but with a few features geared toward investors.

    1) On quote lists, the ability to insert columns of fundamental data. Most software packages don't even have the depth that something like Yahoo Finance has. I'd like to be able to easily see a comparison of this data on a quote board type display. I'd also like a column that allows text to be entered for notes.

    2) In-depth research of all fundamental data, SEC filings, news, balance sheets, income statements, etc. TradeStation does this in a browser window, which is fine.

    So far I've looked at eSignal, which provides barely any fundamental data and has a less desirable interface to TradeStation.

    Investor/RT had great fundamental data but the user interface is extremely confusing. The biggest annoyance was that chart windows do not automatically scale horizontally and the month/year labels disappear if you get too many periods/pixels.

    ProphetX had a great user interface and charting, but no fundamental data at all and no links to external sources.

    If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.
     
  2. mokwit

    mokwit

    Metastock Quotecenter (AKA Reuters Bridgestation) has fundamental data. USD135/month
     
  3. iqfeed

    iqfeed DTN

    You mentioned that ProphetX doesn't have any Fundamental data. However, that really isn't true. Although poorly formated, below is a dump of the fields that we have for MSFT for example. These fields can be added to a quote sheet, or Quote Board. Were there particular fields you were looking for that you were unable to find?

    In ProphetX, you can add/remove as many columns as you want (then save it as a default template), including custom notes or formula fields. There is also a tabbed interface, not only within the window, but within multiple "pages".

    We do have an embedded web browser that you can save as tabs in your workbooks so it will always open to the page/pages you want. You are correct that we don't currently have custom links in the product, but it is on the drawing board.

    Feel free to contact me directly and I would be happy to walk you through the product a bit more thoroughly to see if it would meet your needs.

    Code:
    Symbol:	MSFT		MICROSOFT CORP            	
    Last	24.3000			
    Open	24.1200			
    High	24.4001			
    Low	24.0300			
    Close	 --- 			
    Trade Date Time	08/02/06 16:00		Bid Date Time	08/02/06 16:56
    Ask Date Time	08/02/06 17:39		Bid Ask Trade Date Time	08/02/06 17:39
    Last Bid Ask	24.3300A		Last Bid Ask Change	0.3400
    Latest	24.3300		Recent Price	24.3000
    Previous Price	23.9900		Open 2	 --- 
    Close 2	 --- 		Settle	 --- 
    Volume	46447011		Last Volume	100
    Cumulative Volume	46461911		Open Interest	0
    Bid Price	24.2800		Bid 1	24.3000
    Bid 2	24.2800		Ask Price	24.3300
    Ask 1	24.3100		Ask 2	24.3300
    First	24.1200		Last 1	24.3100
    Last 2	24.2900		Last 3	24.3100
    Last 4	24.3000		Bid Size	1
    Ask Size	1		Trade Count	64331
    Trade Condition	0		Market Condition	Regular 
    Last Bate	1		Open Bate	0
    High Bate	0		Low Bate	0
    Close Bate	0		Open 2 Bate	0
    Close 2 Bate	0		Direction	0
    Fraction	4		Fraction Vendor	21
    Fraction Display	255		SETTLE DATE	 --- 
    Expiration Date	 --- 		Change	0.3100
    TickNum	1022705667		Vendor	DTN
    Market	NASDAQ		52 Week High	28.3800
    52 Week Low	21.4599		52 Week High Date	1/31/2006
    52 Week Low Date	6/13/2006		EXCHANGE ID	274
    IDN Source Number	0		Strike	0
    DATABASE NUMBER	150995218		DB RECORD NUMBER	5620
    QUOTE CONDITION	0		EXTENDED LAST	24.3000
    EXTENDED LAST INDICATOR	25		QUOTE STATUS	1284
    TRADE TIME	 2:00 PM		TRADE DATE	8/2/2006
    TICK ARROWS	0		FIELD TYPE FOR ALL	10
    CHANGE FIELD DEF	28		PROCESS CODE	0
    LAST INDICATOR	25		MARKET CONDITION	0
    STATUS IND	32		DB Security Type Number	1
    Last Act Time	 3:00 PM		MARKET LAST TRADE	18
    LAST SEQUENCE NUMBER	1488433		Trade Time HOS	81
    VWAP	24.2539616		MARKET BEST BID	26
    MARKET BEST ASK	26		BID TICK IND	25
    P/E	20		XDIV INDICATOR	32
    Market Center	24		Dividend Ex Date	8/15/2006
    ANNUAL EST EPS	1.45		ANNUAL EPS	1.2
    Beta	0.31		YIELD	0.015
    Dividend	0		SIC CODE	7372
    Shares Outstanding	10062000		Percent Held Institution	60.5
    Average Volume	69566700		YTD HIGH	28.3800
    YTD HIGH DATE	1/31/2006		YTD LOW	21.4599
    YTD LOW DATE	6/13/2006		Current Qtr Dividend	0.0009
    Assets	487.3699951		Liabilities	168.7700043
    Debt	 --- 		Diluted EPS	28
    Fiscal Year End	6/1/2006		EPS 3 Year Growth	12.71
    EPS 5 Year Growth	11.94		Market Cap	2420920
    Dividend Pay Date	9/14/2006		Dividend Rate	 --- 
    Dividend Rec Date	8/17/2006		Last Split	2/18/2003
    Previous Split	3/29/1999		Last Split Factor	0.5
    Previous Split Factor	0.5		YEAR END CLOSE	 --- 
    UPC INDICATOR	32		Fin Stat Ind	78
    Naics			NAICS	511210
    PREVIOUS VOLUME	49223513		NAICS CODE	511210
    Quote Delay	0		DB SECURITIES TYPE	EQUITY
    MARKET CONDITION DESCRIPTION	Regular Market		Total Contract Cumulative Volume	 --- 
    Total Contract Volume	 --- 		Total Contract Open Interest	 --- 
    Total Contract Volume2	 --- 		Total Contract Open Interest2	 --- 
    Ticker Symbol	MSFT		% Change	1.292205
    Display Symbol	MSFT		Bid Ask Trade Date	8/2/2006
    Bid Ask Trade Time	 4:39 PM		Ask Date	8/2/2006
    Ask Time	 4:39 PM		Bid Date	8/2/2006
    Bid Time	 3:56 PM		Trade Date	8/2/2006
    Trade Time	 3:00 PM			
    Trading Hours:	Mon 9:30 - Mon 15:59 *
    			
    	Tue 9:30 - Tue 15:59 *
    			
    	Wed 9:30 - Wed 15:59 *
    			
    	Thu 9:30 - Thu 15:59 *
    			
    	Fri 9:30 - Fri 15:59 *
    		
     
  4. KeyIG, in reference to Investor/RT, I assume you meant "vertical scaling" instead of horizontal scaling. And the trick to that....there's a little "A" or "M" in the upper right corner of each scale. A for automatic and M for manual. If the scale is in manual mode, just click on the M to return it to auto-scaling mode.