Why is market data so expensive?

Is Sierra Chart okay instead of Stage 5? Try it out - they have free trials. $24 or less a month for the platform

TICK TRIN etc. is free

Then see if you can get CME data from your broker. AMP Futures is charging only $15 / mo. Or you can get that data for about $50 / mo. from Sierra Chart as well
 
ICE does not offer a cheaper way of getting data for an S&P 500 mini contract, only CME sells data for the S&P 500 mini contract, therefore CME has a monopoly on that data.

I don't see why deep discount brokerages can't cover the charges of CME and CQG-type data, most don't need the fastest data, Thinkorswim's futures data is free to customers (even 0 balance in account) and it's nearly as good as CQG on a slower market like the ES.
 
I don't see why deep discount brokerages can't cover the charges of CME and CQG-type data, most don't need the fastest data, Thinkorswim's futures data is free to customers (even 0 balance in account) and it's nearly as good as CQG on a slower market like the ES.

But they do provide cheap data. Not exactly zero always, but pretty close
  • IB: no data fee for monthly $30 commission. A few dollars here & there for the rest of what you need
  • AMP: $15 a month for data & exchange fee
  • Deep Discount Trading: About $15 - $20 IIRC
  • Tradestation data: Bit more, but not much
  • And yes, TOS as you mentioned: $0 a month
 
...Thinkorswim's futures data is free to customers (even 0 balance in account) and it's nearly as good as CQG on a slower market like the ES.

Depends on where you live in the world. In Montreal, CQG blows away Thinkorswim for data on CME, ICE involving speed and accuracy...not sure about the other stuff they sell.

In contrast, I know someone in Dallas that say the speed and accuracy are compatible between the two but Bloomberg beats them both. Whereas in Seattle, CQG beats Bloomberg on speed. Further, do not underestimate the influence of your ISP as the hub between you and your data vendor. I've seen speed and data packets lost via the ISP all by itself.

Anyways, this is more of an issue (speed) for those that are scalping or doing algo stuff. Not an issue for normal day trading, swing trading, position trading.

In fact, its very common for profitable traders in a specific trading instrument to relocate (move) closer to the exchange of their trading instrument. I know a few guys out of New York that relocated to Asia to be closer to the markets there that they are very profitable in. I also know a few traders out of Europe that relocated to Chicago because they're profitable in the CME products...the only stuff they trade.

The above only an issue for those trading for a living that are willing to relocate and when speed is a big concern in their trading.
 
I don't consider it expensive, considering the returns. What I do consider expensive are the POS family celphone bills, considering I hate those darn things.
 
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