RTI_PriceChangePct_X_Min_Ago: Real-Time Percentage Price Changes in Excel

The RTI_PriceChangePct_X_Min_Ago function in MarketXLS lets you see how a stock’s price has changed (in percentage terms) from a given number of minutes ago. This real-time calculation helps you spot quick trends, react to market movements, and make more informed decisions directly from your Excel spreadsheet.

By leveraging the RTD (Real-Time Data) mechanism and MarketXLS’s technical indicators, the function retrieves the symbol’s last known price from a specified number of minutes ago and computes the percentage change against the current price. This is particularly useful during fast-moving or volatile trading sessions.

Why Use This Function?

• Monitor intra-day momentum by checking how quickly a stock’s price is moving in percentage terms over the last X minutes.
• Integrate real-time analytics in your spreadsheets without switching between multiple platforms.
• Develop short-term trading signals (e.g., scalp trading or momentum-based strategies) directly within Excel.
• Quickly identify significant price shifts to make fast trading decisions or protect positions.
• Use it in combination with other MarketXLS RTI functions (e.g., RTI_HighestPrice_in_X_Mins) to get a more complete picture of recent market activity.

How to Use in Excel

=RTI_PriceChangePct_X_Min_Ago(symbol, minutesAgo)

1. Type “=RTI_PriceChangePct_X_Min_Ago” into a cell.
2. Enter the stock symbol in quotes as the first argument.
3. Enter an integer value for the minutesAgo parameter.
4. Press Enter, and watch the cell update in real-time (provided you have an active data seller configured).

Behind the scenes, MarketXLS subscribes to real-time data from an active data vendor (e.g., AngelOne or Zerodha). If the symbol is not yet live, MarketXLS automatically attempts to queue it for real-time updates. If no vendor is configured, you’ll see a “No data seller is configured” message.

Parameters Explained

• The function returns a real-time calculation of how much (in percentage) a stock’s LAST price has changed since “minutesAgo” minutes earlier.
• Ensure that the symbol exists and is spelled correctly; real-time data updates require an active and valid MarketXLS license.

Example Usage

Basic Examples

1. Simple Percentage Change from 10 Minutes Ago:
   =RTI_PriceChangePct_X_Min_Ago("AAPL", 10)
   Description: Displays how much Apple’s stock price has changed (in %) since 10 minutes ago.

2. Checking a 5-Minute Window for a Different Symbol:
   =RTI_PriceChangePct_X_Min_Ago("MSFT", 5)
   Description: Shows the real-time percentage change of Microsoft’s price from 5 minutes earlier.

In both examples, data refreshes automatically if your RTD connection is active.

Advanced Scenarios

• Intraday Momentum Dashboard:
Combine RTI_Price_X_Min_Ago, RTI_PriceChange_X_Min_Ago, and RTI_PriceChangePct_X_Min_Ago to build a dashboard that flags any significant short-term price spikes.
Example formula synergy:
- Cell A2: =RTI_Price_X_Min_Ago("AAPL", 10)
- Cell B2: =RTI_PriceChange_X_Min_Ago("AAPL", 10)
- Cell C2: =RTI_PriceChangePct_X_Min_Ago("AAPL", 10)
With these three cells, you can instantly see the price 10 minutes ago, the nominal change since then, and the percentage change.

• Trigger-Based Alerts:
Use Excel conditional formatting or custom VBA macros to alert you when the percentage change exceeds a threshold (e.g., ±1%). This helps you act quickly on sudden movements during the trading day.

• Integration with Other RTI Functions:
You might reference RTI_PriceChangePct_X_Min_Ago as part of a larger formula that calculates performance metrics, or pairs it with a longer lookback function like RTI_SMA or RTI_RSI to weigh immediate volatility against longer-term trends.

Common Questions and Troubleshooting

1. “Why am I getting 'No data seller is configured'?”
   – You must configure at least one active data seller, such as AngelOne or Zerodha, in your MarketXLS settings.

2. “My function returns ‘Insufficient parameters.’ What’s missing?”
   – Double-check that you are passing both the required symbol and the minutesAgo parameters to the function.

3. “The function returns ‘ERR’ or a strange result.”
   – Confirm your symbol is valid and spelled correctly. Also ensure you have a valid MarketXLS license.

4. “What if the stock is not trading or hasn’t updated in the last few minutes?”
   – Real-time data may temporarily lag or show minimal changes if trading volume is low, or if the market is closed.

5. “Can I use negative values for minutesAgo?”
   – There’s no explicit support in the function for negative or zero values, and doing so could lead to unexpected results. Use positive integers.

By combining RTI_PriceChangePct_X_Min_Ago with other MarketXLS RTI functions, you’ll gain powerful, real-time insights directly within Excel—helping you spot intraday momentum, refine entry/exit points, and track fast changes in market prices without leaving your spreadsheet.