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Interactive Options Course
Lesson 14 of 16
IBKR Connections is an integrated research tool that helps investors identify relationships between financial instruments, companies, and economic indicators to enhance investment decision-making. The Connections tool contextualizes investments by showing related peer companies, tradable instruments across asset classes, and both macro and directional strategies. IBKR Connections enables users to discover hidden relationships in the market, as demonstrated when analyzing tech companies to uncover lesser-known competitors or exploring thematic connections in emerging sectors like Carbon Capture. The tool provides practical value for position management, allowing investors with existing positions to identify hedging opportunities through related instruments such as Forecast Contracts or options strategies tied to relevant economic indicators. By consolidating related companies, thematic trends, and diverse financial instruments in a single view, IBKR Connections empowers investors to analyze market context more comprehensively, compare performance across sectors, and make more informed decisions about hedging, diversification, or expanding exposure.
Connections is available on IBKR Desktop, Client Portal, Trader Workstation, and IBKR Mobile, Connections enables Investors to build more comprehensive investment strategies by revealing interconnections that might otherwise be overlooked.
In this lesson the investor will use Connections in the IBKR Desktop to research Exxon Mobil (Symbol:) XOM and Zillow (Symbol: Z) and highlight the features.
In the IBKR Desktop the investor can access Connections by clicking on the quote icon on the left-hand side and choosing the Connections tab. Connections consist of three or four sections depending on the company being researched. Companies in the S&P1500 will display four sections:
Companies outside the S&P1500 will display three sections:
The investor starts by typing in XOM in the search bar and clicking on Connections after the chart appears. Since Exxon Mobile is in the S&P1500 four sections appear. At the top is the “Related Companies” section with data provided by Reflexivity. There are widgets with three companies showing in each directly underneath starting with Competitors and then some of the Investment themes. To drill down into the list the investor clicks on the arrow, and the full list of companies will appear. Clicking on aparticular company will give the investor more information about the company, allow them to add it to a Watchlist, or a quote and create an order. The investor can click “Back” to return to the Connections Homepage.
The next section is the Related Products. In this section the investor can see alternative products that relate to the original symbol searched. It is important to note that not every symbol will return products in each category. Related products may include Forecast Contracts, Options, Futures, Stock Alternatives, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Bonds, and Crypto. Clicking on any of the choices will create a quote for that particular instrument.
The Connections Investment Themes Section for companies in the S&P1500
The third section of the Connections page is the Investment Themes. In the Related Companies section a few of the Investment Themes are shown but, in this area, a full suite of themes are available. The data for companies in the S&P1500 is shown and the lists are provided by Reflexivity; the investor can click on any of the themes to see a full list of stocks and create a quote or add to a Watchlist.
The final section of the Connections area is the Strategies section which leverages Interactive Brokers’ powerful Option Wizard Tool. For more information on the Option Wizard please see the IBKR Toolbox article. In the Strategies section the investor chooses from bullish or bearish strategies, adjusts the price moves choosing between 1, 1.5, or 2 standard deviations and the time horizon choosing between 3, 30, or 180 days. Once the investor makes their forecasts, strategies will populate below including information on their break-even point, maximum loss, maximim profit, and probability of profit. Click the information icon for information on how the probability of profit is calculated. If the investor clicks on a strategy they will be brought to the Option Chain with the Strategy populating the order entry panel. After adjusting the quantity, order type, price, and time in force the investor can place the order.
The investor types in Zillow and as mentioned earlier the Connections screen shows three sections for companies outside the S&P1500: Related Companies, Related Products, and Strategies. The key difference is that information for Related Companies is provided by Reflexivity and there is no Investment Themes area.
IBKR Connections transforms the investment research process by seamlessly integrating relationship-based insights into the everyday workflow of traders and investors. By revealing hidden connections between securities, economic indicators, and market themes, this powerful tool enables more informed decision-making that considers both direct and indirect market influences. As markets grow increasingly complex and interconnected, IBKR Connections stands as an essential resource for investors seeking to develop more sophisticated, context-aware investment strategies that capitalize on the full spectrum of related opportunities.
The analysis in this material is provided for information only and is not and should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security. To the extent that this material discusses general market activity, industry or sector trends or other broad-based economic or political conditions, it should not be construed as research or investment advice. To the extent that it includes references to specific securities, commodities, currencies, or other instruments, those references do not constitute a recommendation by IBKR to buy, sell or hold such investments. This material does not and is not intended to take into account the particular financial conditions, investment objectives or requirements of individual customers. Before acting on this material, you should consider whether it is suitable for your particular circumstances and, as necessary, seek professional advice.
The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Interactive Brokers, its affiliates, or its employees.
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