Add a Market Data Line
Before you can trade, you need to add market data lines for your assets. A market data line represents an individual ticker, and displays the product type, order destination, ask and bid prices, and other defining attributes. You can add a market data line by typing directly in the Underlying column of the trading screen, or by using the Request Ticker by Underlying box.
NOTE: Advanced/options traders can add security definitions by entering the exchange contract class or contract symbol.
To add a ticker line directly to the trading screen
Click in an empty row in the Underlying column.
Enter the instrument's underlying ticker symbol and press ENTER.
Select the instrument type from the list.
In the Contract Description box, select a contract and click OK. You can limit the contracts displayed in the right pane by selecting an exchange or a currency from the Filter section. Choose Smart to use SmartRouting.
Market data lines are active when visible, regardless of where they originate.
Each alarm always uses one line of market data whether or not you are viewing the asset that contains the alarm.
Market data requested through an API has top priority, followed by data requested by alarms, and finally basic market data display. This means that if you are viewing a trading page that includes 100 lines of market data, and you also have price-activated alarms set for 6 other contracts, those 6 contracts will receive market data, and your trading page will only show data for 94 contracts.
The option chains on OptionTrader do not count against available market data lines.
To add an asset using the Request Ticker by Underlying box
Do one of the following to open the Request Ticker by Underlying box:
Click the Ticker icon on the Trading toolbar.
On the menu select
Select Ticker from the right-click menu anywhere on the trading screen.
Enter the underlying ticker symbol.
Select the instrument type from the list.
From the Contract Selection window, select "Smart" to use IB SmartRouting, or choose a specific order destination.
NOTE: If you add a market data line for a derivative instrument, TWS will ask if you want the underlying symbol added to the page. If you answer yes, it will be included at the bottom of the page (unless the underlying is already on the page).