Ask Price
Returns the current ask price (also known as the offer price) for stocks, ETFs, indices, and options. The ask price represents the lowest price at which a seller is willing to sell the security.
Supported Symbol Formats
| Type | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| US Stocks | SYMBOL | AAPL, MSFT |
| ETFs | SYMBOL | SPY, QQQ |
| Indices | ^SYMBOL | ^SPX, ^VIX |
| Options | OCC Symbol | AAPL240315C00170000 |
| Canadian | SYMBOL:CA | SHOP:CA |
Understanding Ask Price
The ask price is part of the bid-ask spread:
- Bid: The highest price buyers are willing to pay
- Ask: The lowest price sellers are willing to accept
- Spread: The difference between ask and bid
A tighter spread generally indicates more liquid markets.
Notes
- Prices are delayed approximately 15 minutes for most symbols
- For real-time streaming prices, use
QM_Stream_Ask() - Returns "NA" if the symbol is invalid or data is unavailable
Examples
When to Use
- Getting current offer prices for securities
- Calculating bid-ask spreads
- Analyzing market liquidity
- Building quote tables and watchlists
- Determining execution costs for buy orders
When NOT to Use
| Scenario | Use Instead |
|---|---|
| Real-time streaming ask prices | QM_Stream_Ask() |
| Historical ask prices | Ask_Historical() |
| Last traded price | Last() |
| Bid price | Bid() |
| Pre-market prices | QM_Stream_PreMarketAsk() |
Common Issues & FAQ
Q: Why am I getting "NA"? A: Check symbol format:
- US stocks: Use ticker only (AAPL)
- Indices: Add ^ prefix (^SPX)
- Canadian stocks: Add :CA suffix (SHOP:CA)
Q: How do I get real-time streaming ask prices?
A: Use QM_Stream_Ask() for streaming updates that refresh automatically.
Q: Why is the ask higher than the last price? A: The ask is the lowest price sellers will accept, which is typically slightly higher than the last traded price in an active market.
Q: How do I calculate the bid-ask spread?
A: Use the formula =Ask("AAPL")-Bid("AAPL") to get the spread in dollars.
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