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
Syntax
=Ask(Symbol)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
Why am I getting "NA"?
Check symbol format:
- US stocks: Use ticker only (AAPL)
- Indices: Add ^ prefix (^SPX)
- Canadian stocks: Add :CA suffix (SHOP:CA)
How do I get real-time streaming ask prices?
Use QM_Stream_Ask() for streaming updates that refresh automatically.
Why is the ask higher than the last price?
The ask is the lowest price sellers will accept, which is typically slightly higher than the last traded price in an active market.
How do I calculate the bid-ask spread?
Use the formula =Ask("AAPL")-Bid("AAPL") to get the spread in dollars.
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