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
Examples
Using OptionSymbol() for options - RECOMMENDED
=Bid_Size_Historical(OptionSymbol("AAPL",DATE(2026,3,15),"Call",170),DATE(2025,12,15))Using raw OCC symbol
=Bid_Size_Historical("AAPL240315C00170000", DATE(2025,12,15))For stock historical bid size
=Bid_Size_Historical("AAPL", DATE(2025,12,15))Using cell references
=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
Q: What units is bid size in? A: For options, it's in contracts. For stocks, it's typically in shares or round lots (100 shares).
Q: Why is the bid size 0? A: There may have been no active bids at close on that date, or the option had very low liquidity.
Q: How do I assess liquidity? A: Compare bid size to ask size. Larger sizes indicate better liquidity and tighter markets.
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