Get the Historical Bid Size for Stocks with MarketXLS

The Bid_Size_Historical function helps you quickly retrieve the number of shares (or contracts) available at the bid price on a specific date. This data is useful for assessing liquidity, examining past trading demand, and understanding short-term market interest. With MarketXLS, you can seamlessly pull this historical bid size information directly into your Excel workflow.

Why Use This Function?

• Easily assess past liquidity trends: Compare how bid size evolves over time to gauge market depth.
• Validate trading strategies: Check historical bid sizes around key events to understand the market’s interest.
• Automate data gathering: No need to visit third-party websites; get data directly in Excel.
• Streamlined for US and international stocks: Supports multiple markets, enabling broader use cases (though some symbols or dates may return “NA” if data is unavailable).
• Useful for daily or weekly reviews: Add clarity to your historical analyses and sharpen your trading insights.

How to Use in Excel

=Bid_Size_Historical(Symbol, OnDate)

1. Enter “=Bid_Size_Historical(” in a cell.
2. Provide the stock or instrument “Symbol” (e.g., "AAPL") in quotes, or refer to a cell that contains the symbol.
3. Enter the “OnDate” either in quotes as a valid date string (e.g., "01/15/2023") or refer to a cell containing the date.
4. Press Enter to see the historical bid size, or “NA” if unavailable.

Parameters Explained

Example Usage

Basic Examples

1. Retrieve Apple’s bid size on January 15, 2023:
   • In an Excel cell:
   =Bid_Size_Historical("AAPL", "1/15/2023")
   • If data is available, you’ll see that day’s bid size. If not, “NA” appears.

2. Referencing cells for parameters:
   • Suppose A1 has "AAPL" and A2 has the date 1/15/2023. Then in another cell:
   =Bid_Size_Historical(A1, A2)
   • This approach helps you quickly change inputs without editing the formula.

3. Checking a different market:
   • For an Indian equity, if the valid symbol is "INFY:IN" and date is in cell B2:
   =Bid_Size_Historical("INFY:IN", B2)

Advanced Scenarios

1. Weekend or holiday data checks:
   • If you supply a date that had no trading session, the function will return “NA” (it does not automatically shift to the previous trading day).
   • This makes it clear when historical data is missing for certain dates.

2. Automated sheets for multiple symbols:
   • Create a watchlist of symbols in one column and a list of dates in another. Use Bid_Size_Historical in a table format to map out liquidity day by day.

3. Integration with other MarketXLS functions:
   • Combine Bid_Size_Historical with volume, open interest, or price data to build a more holistic historical analysis.
   • Streamline your trading insights by comparing bid size to changes in stock price using additional MarketXLS formulas.

Common Questions and Troubleshooting

• “Why am I getting ‘NA’ for my requested date?”
  • Check if the date is a holiday or weekend with no trading data.
  • Ensure you’ve typed the symbol correctly.
  • Verify your MarketXLS license is active.

• “Can I get data for non-US securities?”
  • Yes, but coverage varies by region. If the historical data isn’t available in MarketXLS, the function returns “NA.”

• “Is it possible to see partial trading session data?”
  • No. This function provides end-of-day (historical) values. Intraday or partial day data is not returned.

• “What if my Excel date format is different?”
  • MarketXLS automatically interprets valid Excel date formats; just ensure you’re referencing a valid date or using text in quotes.

By using Bid_Size_Historical in Excel, you can gather crucial historical liquidity data effortlessly, helping you make more informed decisions when analyzing how a stock’s bid size has changed over time.