Stream Ask Price
Streams the real-time ask (offer) price for stocks, ETFs, indices, and options. The ask price is the lowest price at which sellers are willing to sell.
Supported Symbol Formats
| Type | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| US Stocks | SYMBOL | AAPL, MSFT |
| ETFs | SYMBOL | SPY, QQQ |
| Indices | ^SYMBOL | ^SPX, ^VIX |
| Options | OCC Symbol | AAPL240315C00170000 |
Notes
- Data streams automatically update in Excel
- Ask price represents the lowest offer in the order book
- Use with
QM_Stream_Bid()to calculate bid-ask spread
Syntax
=QM_Stream_Ask(Symbol)Returns
number
Real-time streaming ask (offer) price
Examples
=QM_Stream_Ask("AAPL")=QM_Stream_Ask("MSFT")=QM_Stream_Ask("SPY")=QM_Stream_Ask(A1)=QM_Stream_Ask("AAPL")-QM_Stream_Bid("AAPL")When to Use
- Real-time order book monitoring
- Calculating live bid-ask spreads
- Building streaming quote dashboards
- Trading decision support
When NOT to Use
| Scenario | Use Instead |
|---|---|
| Need on-demand ask price | QM_Ask() |
| Need bid price | QM_Stream_Bid() |
| Need historical ask | Ask_Historical() |
| Need last traded price | QM_Stream_Last() |
Common Issues & FAQ
Why is the ask price the same as the last price?
During low liquidity periods or for highly liquid stocks, bid/ask/last can be very close or identical.
Why am I getting #N/A?
Check that symbol format is correct.
How do I calculate the spread?
Use =QM_Stream_Ask("AAPL")-QM_Stream_Bid("AAPL") for the dollar spread.
Excel Templates Using Stream Ask Price
These ready-made MarketXLS templates call QM_Stream_Ask() in their worksheet formulas. Open one to see the function working inside a complete model.
- NDX100 Options Matrix: Comprehensive Risk-Weighted Analysis for Optimal Option Selection across All
- NASDAQ 100 Movement Tracker: Insight on Advancers and Decliners
- Options Rollover Strategy Example Template
- Template for Accessing Real-Time Data on US Stock Option Bids, Greeks, Open Interest, and Unusual Op
- ^SPX Real time Option Chain with SPXW
- Option Chain Excel Sheet (SPY Example)
- Bull Put Spread Option Strategy
- Reverse Iron Condor Spread
Related Formulas
More MarketXLS Price Quotes (Streaming) formulas you can use in the same worksheet:
- Stream Ask Price
- Stream Ask Size
- Stream Ask Size
- Stream Bid Implied Volatility
- Stream Bid Price
- Stream Bid Size
- Stream Bid Size
- Stream Change
See QM_Stream_Ask used in a complete workbook: Real Time Futures Prices in Excel: Live Streaming Data with MarketXLS 2025
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