Best sites/software to trade stocks

fanmail · #1 08-10-2007, 07:58 PM

I am looking for a site to trade through. I am familiar with trading software, alas, only for commodities, not stocks.

I would like a site that has the depth of all bids/offers, real-time quotes, preferably low commission or a deal for a day trader.

spino1i · #2 08-10-2007, 08:36 PM

Well I trade with Zecco and I recommend them pretty strongly even though they dont have after-hours trading and they dont let you short hard-to-borrow stocks (easily anyways). They do have options, but not futures.

The reason they are so good is because trades are 0$ commission for 1st 40 each month. Saves me $$$.

Kirkrrr · #3 08-10-2007, 09:52 PM

I am probably going to be transferring to TradeStation in the very near future simply because they have software that lets you test out extensively system modeling going back decades (they also allow GTC orders, which my current platform does not). Their margin is only 2:1 long-term and 4:1 intra-day, but I'm now realizing that my risk-control methods don't allow for use of insane leverage anyway, so whatever.

Kirk

UrmaBlume · #4 08-11-2007, 01:03 PM

I use TradeStation.

Great Software includes all indicators and an Easy Language so you can write your own.

Stocks, commodities, options, after hours, deep discount, foreigh exchanges, market depth, single click order execution, drag and click cancel replace, < $5 round turn on futures, .008 for stocks, retail and half of that for members and extensive ability to optimize and back-test strategies.

In my particular case I use TradeStation to export real-time data to a database that I use to train neural neural networks which are converted to easy language and run in real, sub 1-minute, time.

sebbb · #5 08-12-2007, 12:04 AM

I was looking for a way to download historical data to test my trading capabilities on historical data and do paper trading, but tradestation and other apps are a bit expensive...

So I found this
http://www.xlquotes.com/

I just installed it. It's an addon freeware (you get an ad popup when you open excel) for excel that downloads data from yahoo. Has anyone tried it before?

MattSuspect · #6 08-13-2007, 01:04 PM

I worked in Market Data for years, and I hate sites like these that allow people to leach off of data which is extremely costly. That being said, this is a pretty sick tool.

pig4bill · #7 08-14-2007, 02:15 AM

[ QUOTE ]
I worked in Market Data for years, and I hate sites like these that allow people to leach off of data which is extremely costly. That being said, this is a pretty sick tool.

[/ QUOTE ]

It has it's weaknesses. It doesn't account for splits or symbol changes. It's usually not as accurate as data you pay for.

Moonshine · #8 08-13-2007, 01:43 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I was looking for a way to download historical data to test my trading capabilities on historical data and do paper trading, but tradestation and other apps are a bit expensive...

So I found this
http://www.xlquotes.com/

I just installed it. It's an addon freeware (you get an ad popup when you open excel) for excel that downloads data from yahoo. Has anyone tried it before?

[/ QUOTE ]

does anything like this exist for commodities?

Moonshine · #9 08-13-2007, 01:48 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I use TradeStation.

Great Software includes all indicators and an Easy Language so you can write your own.

Stocks, commodities, options, after hours, deep discount, foreigh exchanges, market depth, single click order execution, drag and click cancel replace, < $5 round turn on futures, .008 for stocks, retail and half of that for members and extensive ability to optimize and back-test strategies.

In my particular case I use TradeStation to export real-time data to a database that I use to train neural neural networks which are converted to easy language and run in real, sub 1-minute, time.

[/ QUOTE ]

is there really any merit to trading on these "strategies' in trade station or is it all just a bunch of technical analysis mumbo jumbo bull [censored]

UrmaBlume · #10 08-14-2007, 09:27 AM

TradeStation has the facility to backtest all strategies with a wide variety of settings.

TradeStation also has Easy Language which makes it very easy to write your own strategies or indicators.

While TradeStation has the widest variety of indicators and strategies on the market, the indicators and strategies I use have all been written by me or one of my programmers (this is not spam, this work is not for sale).

I believe this to be the most robust trading package on the market, deep discount brokerage and the software is very inexpensive or free depending on your trading.

I am not affiliated with TradeStation in anyway and am just a very satified customer who has been using their product for more than a decade.