Ask_Size_Historical – Get Historical Ask Size Data with Ease

The Ask_Size_Historical function retrieves past “ask size” data for a specified stock (or other supported instruments) and a chosen date right within Excel. This function can be especially useful for analyzing liquidity patterns or historical trading data at key points in time. By simply providing a ticker symbol and a reference date, you can quickly obtain relevant market information to help guide your investing or trading decisions.

Why Use This Function?

• Easily confirm historical ask size data for a specific trading day.
• Compare liquidity across different dates to spot trends or shifts in market interest.
• Quickly check if certain events or announcements had an impact on market depth.
• Ideal for backtesting strategies that rely on order book data or liquidity metrics.
• Works seamlessly with other MarketXLS functions and Excel analysis tools.

How to Use in Excel

=Ask_Size_Historical(Symbol, OnDate)

1. In your Excel worksheet, select the cell where you want the result to appear.
2. Type “=Ask_Size_Historical(” and enter:
   • Symbol: The ticker symbol of the security (e.g., "AAPL").
   • OnDate: The date (in Excel date format) for which you want to retrieve the ask size.
3. Press Enter to display the historical ask size directly in your worksheet.

When you provide a valid symbol/date combination, you should see the corresponding historical ask size in numeric form. Otherwise, if the data is not available or the date is invalid, the function may return “NA.” Under certain conditions (such as data still updating), it might display “Refreshing.”

Parameters Explained

Example Usage

Basic Examples

1. Retrieve historical ask size for Apple on January 5, 2023:
   =Ask_Size_Historical("AAPL", "1/5/2023")

2. Use a reference to a cell containing the date:
   A1: 1/5/2023
   B1: =Ask_Size_Historical("AAPL", A1)

3. Fetch ask size for Microsoft with today’s date:
   =Ask_Size_Historical("MSFT", TODAY())

In all these instances, the function fetches data from MarketXLS’s backend, returning the ask size. If the symbol/date combination is invalid or data is still processing, you may see “NA” or “Refreshing.”

Advanced Scenarios

• Multi-Day Comparison: Create a column of dates and apply Ask_Size_Historical for each date to see how ask size changes over time.
• Event-Based Analysis: If a major corporate announcement occurred on a specific date, compare ask size before and after the event to assess shifts in market interest.
• Combined with Other Functions: Pair historical ask size with open, close, or volume data (via other MarketXLS functions) to build a comprehensive trading dashboard in Excel.

Common Questions and Troubleshooting

1. Why am I seeing “NA” for certain dates?

   • The date may fall on a weekend or holiday, or the symbol may not have valid data for that day. Double-check the date and symbol.

2. Can I use future dates?

   • Future dates will typically return “NA” because historical data isn’t available.

3. What if my license is invalid or expired?

   • The function may return an error message or “NA.” Make sure your MarketXLS license is up to date.

4. Why does the function sometimes show “Refreshing”?

   • Data might still be loading or being updated on the server. Once the data is ready, the function will update with the correct value.

By leveraging the Ask_Size_Historical function in MarketXLS, you can deepen your market research and build robust trading or investment strategies—all within your familiar Excel environment.