Kevin,If the problem is really a zero appearing between dde cell updates you can solve your problem by setting iterations to some finite number, say 10, in your Calculations menu, and then using a circular reference.
Thanks for the suggestion and the formula. I'll try to test your solution if the market gives me some free time. Since my spreadsheets are linked, it often takes me a bit just to figure out what I think that I thought that I was doing (g).
DMO,
I suspect that you're right... the problem is DDE. But I have no clue. I don't know for sure if the zero during price change (effectively, no quote) is correct but it's the only logical reason that I could come up with that would make the conditional tests flip flop from positive to negative and back to positive again, resulting in the repetitive beeping when the quote changes.
The beep instead of a the visual appearance of a stock symbol in my grid isn't essential but it would be nice to fine tune things and get a tad more efficient. Thanks for the Hoadley suggestion and I'll keep it in the background as an alternative "possible" solution.
My apologies to the OP for inadvertently hijacking the thread.
Spin