Historical Bid Size
Returns the bid size (number of contracts or shares at the bid price) for an option contract or stock on a specific historical date. For options, this represents the number of contracts market makers were willing to buy at the bid price at close.
Parameters
| Parameter | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Symbol | Yes | Option symbol (OCC format) or stock ticker |
| OnDate | Yes | Historical date (DATE function or string) |
Input Requirements
For options, use OptionSymbol() to generate the option symbol:
| Parameter | Source | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Symbol | OptionSymbol() output |
OptionSymbol("AAPL",DATE(2026,3,15),"Call",170) |
Notes
- For options, size is in contracts
- For stocks, size is in shares (often in round lots of 100)
- Larger bid size indicates better liquidity
- End-of-day snapshot value
Syntax
=Bid_Size_Historical(Symbol, OnDate)Examples
=Bid_Size_Historical(OptionSymbol("AAPL",DATE(2026,3,15),"Call",170),DATE(2025,12,15))=Bid_Size_Historical("AAPL240315C00170000", DATE(2025,12,15))=Bid_Size_Historical("AAPL", DATE(2025,12,15))=Bid_Size_Historical(A1, B1)When to Use
- Analyze historical option liquidity
- Study bid/ask depth over time
- Backtest strategies requiring liquidity analysis
- Assess market maker activity
- Build historical liquidity metrics
When NOT to Use
| Scenario | Use Instead |
|---|---|
| Need current bid size | BidSize() |
| Need historical ask size | Ask_Size_Historical() |
| Need bid price | Bid_Historical() |
| Need current liquidity | BidSize() or AskSize() |
Common Issues & FAQ
What units is bid size in?
For options, it's in contracts. For stocks, it's typically in shares or round lots (100 shares).
Why is the bid size 0?
There may have been no active bids at close on that date, or the option had very low liquidity.
How do I assess liquidity?
Compare bid size to ask size. Larger sizes indicate better liquidity and tighter markets.
Excel Templates Using Historical Bid Size (Options)
These ready-made MarketXLS templates call Bid_Size_Historical() in their worksheet formulas. Open one to see the function working inside a complete model.
Related Formulas
More MarketXLS Options formulas you can use in the same worksheet:
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