Our BATS real-time charts are generated using data provided by the BATS exchange. This data is a free alternative to “official” real-time data provided by stock exchanges. While BATS data closely approximates their official counterparts, there are a few key differences that users should be aware of:
BATS data is only available for US stocks, though that does not include some thinly-traded stocks.
Volume data from the BATS exchange is significantly lower than the volume data from the NYSE/Nasdaq.
Price data can be different than the price data from the NYSE/Nasdaq, especially for thinly-traded stocks.
Because of these limitations, we display this BATS data differently on our charts:
BATS data bars are highlighted yellow to distinguish them from final, official data on the chart.
We only display BATS data for the most recent 15 minutes on our charts. After that, we replace the BATS bar(s) with delayed “official” bars from the major exchanges.
For intraday charts, we place a vertical, dashed yellow line on the chart in order to show where the free real-time bars end and the official bars begin.
Because the volume data from the BATS exchange is so much smaller than the official volume data, we do not display volume or volume-based indicators for the BATS section of the chart.
Click here for a full explanation of BATS real-time data, including example charts that compare a BATS-based chart with an official real-time chart.