What Can You Use Delayed Market Data For

At Intrinio, we’re dedicated to keeping you informed about the latest trends in the world of finance. We get hundreds of requests a week for market data solutions, and one of the more popular and affordable forms of market data is delayed market data.

Today, we’re exploring delayed market data and how it can be used to make informed investment decisions. In particular, we’ll be looking at delayed stock options data and the different use cases for this information.

What is Delayed Market Data?

Delayed market data refers to financial information that is not in real-time. Instead, it is delayed by a certain amount of time, typically between 15 and 20 minutes. Sometimes this delay is necessary because it takes time for financial data to be collected, processed, and disseminated to investors. In other cases, the data is intentionally delayed in order to make the product more affordable by avoiding real-time exchange fees.

Delayed market data is used by a variety of investors, including retail investors, professional traders, and financial analysts. Fintech app developers frequently take advantage of delayed market data APIs in order to integrate and display this information inside of their apps. While real-time data is generally preferred, delayed data can still provide valuable insights into market trends and movements - plus, it’s typically far more affordable than real-time market data.

Different Use Cases for Delayed Market Data

There are several different use cases for delayed market data, depending on the type of investor and the investment strategy being employed. Here are a few examples:

1. Monitoring Trends: Delayed market data can be used to monitor trends in the stock market and individual stocks. By tracking the movements of stocks over time, investors can identify patterns and make informed decisions about when to buy or sell.
2. Backtesting: Delayed market data can also be used for backtesting investment strategies. Backtesting involves applying an investment strategy to historical market data to see how it would have performed in the past. This can help investors to refine their strategies and improve their chances of success.
3. Risk Management: Delayed market data can also be used for risk management. By monitoring market trends and movements, investors can identify potential risks and take steps to mitigate them.
4. Display to End Users: Many app developers and fintech comanies integrate delayed market data via API and display it to end users inside of their apps, software, or websites. The data can be displayed through visually appealing charts, graphs or tables to help bring more insight to end users and increase engagement.

Delayed Stock Options Data

Delayed stock options data is a specific type of delayed market data that is used by investors who trade options. Options are complex financial instruments that give the holder the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a specific stock at a specific price within a specified period of time.

Because options are often highly leveraged and can be risky, it is important for investors to have accurate and up-to-date information about the underlying stocks and options. Delayed options data can provide this information, even if it is not in real-time - but finding a reliable data provider is paramount.

In particular, delayed options data can be used for:

1. Analyzing Market Trends: By analyzing delayed options data, investors can gain insights into market trends and movements, and make informed decisions about when to buy or sell options.
2. Risk Management: Delayed options data can also be used for risk management. By monitoring the movements of underlying stocks and options, investors can identify potential risks and take steps to mitigate them.
3. Backtesting: Delayed options data can be used for backtesting investment strategies involving options. This can help investors to refine their strategies and improve their chances of success.

Delayed market data, including delayed options data, can be a valuable tool for investors looking to make informed decisions about their investments. By tracking market trends and movements, analyzing options data, and backtesting investment strategies, investors can improve their chances of success and minimize risk. 

To get started using delayed market data, you will need to find a reliable and affordable data provider. There are several companies that offer delayed market data feeds, but there are a few factors to be aware of. 

Not all companies follow the rules of the exchanges or pay the correct access and exchange fees; if you work with companies like this you could end up losing access to data at a critical point in time or even being audited yourself. Other providers act simply as a pass-through from the exchanges which results in poor data quality and poor reliability. Lastly, you’ll want to inquire about support - having a full support team to help facilitate your integration is key.

Using Intrinio’s Delayed Options Data

At Intrinio, we offer one of the most reliable and affordable delayed options data feeds on the market. If you are looking to display options data inside whatever you are building without breaking the bank, you’ve come to the right place. Our delayed options data is updated every 15 minutes and includes information on option chains, pricing, and implied volatility.

To get started using our delayed options data, simply sign up for an Intrinio account and take a free trial of our Silver Options Package. You can then use our API to access the data in real-time, or download it for use in spreadsheets and other applications.

In addition, our team of financial data experts is available to provide support and answer any questions you may have about our delayed options data or our API.