Market data is, essentially, price data. It is trade-related data encompassing stocks, currency, financial derivatives, commodities, and several other financial investment instruments. It is this data that market traders use to analyze and make buy or sell decisions. The information can be used “on the spot” to make an immediate decision, but it is also often used to identify trends over time by looking at historical data. Identifying these trends as way to predict future price movement is, for most traders, a crucial part of their strategy. But it can’t be done well without good data.

Finding a reliable, accurate, and timely market data feed can be tricky, both for individuals and for companies who would like to feature them on their web sites or use them in their applications or software. If you are on the hunt for a reliable market data feed for your business, here are a few features to look for to ensure you’re getting the best data:

1. A wide range of market data sources. Does the market data feed include futures, commodities, index, equity, and foreign exchange markets?

2. Data output options. You may be interested in real time, delayed, or end of day feeds. Maybe you want historical data feeds. Make sure the feeds you want are offered.

3. Compatible formats. How do you need the market data feed delivered? There is a wide range of delivery methods, including streaming, query/response, .NET, CSV, JAVA, or XML. Make sure you select a service in a format that’s compatible for your use.

Market data is complex in terms of technology and functionality and most often should be managed by a company or a professional with substantial experience. These companies can handle a variety of related issues such as contract management, reporting, budgeting, permissioning, and more.

Barchart is one such company that provides market data to a wide range of businesses. The feeds can be delivered as streaming feeds or as an on-demand query/response service. They are also available via XML, CSV, Java, and .NET formats. Sourced from leading exchanges, data feeds offered include real-time or delayed data. In addition, Barchart is a trusted name in this service area, with many years of experience and a proven track record for reliable data. If you would like to learn more about the services and products available from Barchart, you can visit the company online at its informative web site www.barchartmarketdata.com.

There are a number of ways that investors go about making decisions to buy, sell, or hold. Collecting, viewing, and analyzing an immense array of data is common practice. Investors will routinely review market data points in an attempt to predict price movements for a particular commodity or company’s stock. There are a number of ways that investors will gather this information, but one of the ones that most people are familiar with are market data feeds.

Think about many news-oriented web sites. You’ve probably noticed a “ticker” on some of these sites that lists off any number of market data sets. It could be a real time or end of day market feed, and could be for a number of different markets (futures, stocks, commodities, foreign exchange, or indices).

These market data feeds may appear to be an easy addition to a web site, but they are often quite complex to create and set up. The technology involved is complicated, as is ensuring accuracy of the information pulled and presented by the feed.

Fortunately, there are companies who specialize in creating these market data feeds in “off the shelf” formats that allow businesses to add feeds to their web sites without hiring an expert to develop a custom solution. In this way, companies can offer this useful information to their customers with relative ease. An “off the shelf” solution means that no (or very little) customization is needed in order to be implemented.

One company that provides this service is Barchart. They offer data feeds to a wide range of businesses, including agriculture businesses, large brokerage firms, and news agencies and web sites. Feeds offered by Barchart include, real time and delayed data feeds, raw exchange data feeds, query/response (on demand XML) data feeds, historical market data feeds, or an end of day market feed. The feeds can be delivered in a variety of formats in order to be compatible with nearly every web site’s requirements. Barchart began offering feeds in 1995, giving them a long and proven track record for providing reliable information that is accurate and thorough.

Adding a feed - like an delayed market feed, for example - to a market-related web site is a great way to add value for site visitors. However, the feed must be executed well, or it will only serve to frustrate visitors. This is why using a feed service like the ones offered by Barchart (www.barchartmarketdata.com) can be a great, efficient and cost-effective solution.