Retrieve Historical Ask Price Data with Ask_Historical

The Ask_Historical function in MarketXLS allows you to retrieve the historical ask price for a specific ticker symbol on a given date. This is especially useful for backtesting strategies or analyzing how the market was pricing a security at its ask price on a particular day. With reliable, well-organized data right inside Excel, you can optimize your trading decisions and historical comparisons more efficiently.

Why Use This Function?

• Helps in evaluating past market behavior by showing the ask price on any particular date.
• Valuable for backtesting trading strategies that rely on accurate historical ask data.
• Facilitates deeper analysis and comparisons of different securities across various points in time.
• Simplifies research processes by eliminating the need for manual data collection from external sources.
• Ideal for portfolio managers, traders, and finance professionals looking to refine their decision-making process with historical insights.

How to Use in Excel

=Ask_Historical(Symbol, OnDate)

1. In your Excel workbook, select a cell where you want the result displayed.
2. Type the formula =Ask_Historical("Symbol", A1), replacing "Symbol" with the ticker you want and A1 (or another cell reference) with the date cell in the workbook.
3. Press Enter, and the function will return the historical ask price (or "NA" if no data is available).

Note: This function relies on a valid MarketXLS license. If your license is invalid or expired, you will receive "NA" instead of the ask price.

Parameters Explained

Example Usage

Basic Examples

1. =Ask_Historical("AAPL", "01/02/2023")
   • Retrieves the historical ask price for Apple on January 2, 2023.
   • If data is found, it returns the ask price; otherwise, it returns "NA".

2. =Ask_Historical("MSFT", A2)
   • Here, the date is referenced from cell A2 in Excel.
   • This is useful when dynamically changing dates for multiple calculations.

3. =Ask_Historical(B2, "12/31/2022")
   • Fetches the ask price for the symbol entered in cell B2 on December 31, 2022.
   • Helps in scenarios where you are referencing multiple symbols in Excel.

Advanced Scenarios

• Pulling ask prices for multiple symbols and dates:
Combine Ask_Historical in multiple cells to create a structured historical data table. Then, use Excel’s built-in functions (like VLOOKUP or INDEX/MATCH) to organize or analyze these ask prices.

• Integrating with trading models:
Use the retrieved ask price data in custom Excel-based trading strategies. E.g., combine it with average price calculations or performance metrics to form signals to enter or exit trades.

• Comparing different timeframes:
Set up columns for different dates beside each symbol, allowing you to quickly compare historical asks and identify trends or anomalies in ask prices over time.

Common Questions and Troubleshooting

1. Why am I getting "NA"?

   • The symbol could be incorrect or not recognized by MarketXLS.
   • No historical data is available for the specified date.
   • Your MarketXLS license may be invalid or expired.

2. What if the function returns "Refreshing"?

   • It indicates that MarketXLS is currently updating or refreshing its data. The value should be available once the data refresh completes.

3. Can I pass dates in different cell references or formats?

   • Yes, as long as Excel can interpret the date correctly. Make sure the cell is recognized as a valid date format.

4. Will this function work for past dates where no trading took place?

   • If the market was closed on that date or data is unavailable, the function will return "NA" to indicate no data can be retrieved.

5. Can I use it with real-time data for intraday updates?

   • This function is specifically designed for retrieving historical (past) data. Intraday updates may require a different MarketXLS function focusing on real-time data feeds.

By using Ask_Historical effectively, you can streamline your access to historical ask price data straight from Excel, helping you to make more informed comparisons and analyses for US securities and beyond. Stay organized and leverage MarketXLS to take your market research and strategy development to the next level!