Trade Bar

Overview

The Trade Bar allows you to efficiently place standard, advanced orders, and options orders. If the Trade Bar is not visible, click the Trade button at the top of the Web Trading window and the Trade Bar appears. You can also place a trade directly from a chart, or send an order to the Trade Bar from the Matrix.

  • To place an advanced trade, click the OCO/OSO pull-down and select an OSO, OCO, or Bracket order type. See Advanced Orders.
  • To place an Option Order, click the Option Orders button. The Option Chain app must be open so you can select Bid or Ask prices.
  • Optionally, change the TradeStation account that you want to use or set your default Order Entry Settings.

Layout

Web Trading, Trade Bar

1 Standard Order or OCO/OSO

The Trade Bar default is Standard Order. To prepare an OCO (Order Cancels Order), OSO (Order Sends Order) or Bracket orders, click the OCO/OSO pull-down and choose an order type. For more information, see Advanced Orders.

2 Option Orders

Click the Option Orders button to place a trade from the Option Chain app. See Placing Options Trades.

3 Position

When you enter a symbol in which you hold a position, the position field automatically updates to display your current position; for example, Long 500 or Short -200. Open P/L displays your profit or loss for that specific symbol. To see more account details, open the Positions app.

4 Pin the Trade Bar, Order Entry Settings, Close the Trade Bar

  • Pin Pins the Trade Bar open. By default, the Trade Bar closes after you complete a successful trade. When you pin the Trade Bar, it will remain open unless you close it.
  • Settings Opens the Order Entry Settings.
  • Close Closes the Trade Bar. Information placed in the Trade Bar will remain even after the Trade Bar is closed; however, that information is lost when the current browser session ends.

5 Symbol

Click the word SYMBOL and type the first few letters of the symbol or the company name. The Symbol Lookup panel appears. Choose your asset class and symbol.

6 Option Chain

Click the Option Chain link icon Option Chain to open the Option Chain app directly from the Trade Bar. If you enter a symbol in the Trade Bar, and then click the Option Chain link, the Option Chain app opens with your symbol already loaded.

7 Order Info

Use these order parameter fields to enter specific information about the trade you wish to place. The buttons will vary based on your existing position for the symbol being traded.

  • Quantity: The number of units (shares, contracts, lots) that you wish to purchase or sell. By default, the quantity field uses the number that you specified for the asset class in Order Entry Settings.
  • Order Type: The type of order that you are placing (Limit, Market, Stop Limit, Stop Market, Trailing Stop, Trailing Stop %).
  • Price fields: The Bid, Last, or Ask buttons transfer prices to the Price fields. Adjust the prices by entering a number or by using the up and down arrows.
    • Limit Price: The price for a limit order. A limit order is a buy or sell order that is only executed at a specified price (the Limit Price) or better.
    • Stop Price: The price that triggers the creation of a Market or Limit Order. When the market reaches or passes the Stop Price, a market/limit order is triggered.
    • Amount: Enter an amount that represents the difference between the Last price and the Trail amount.
    • Amount %: Enter an amount that represents the percentage above/below the Last price.
  • Routing: The order route specifies how your order will be routed to a market participant. Choose a route from the pull-down, or leave it as the default, Intelligent.
  • Duration: The length of time that your order will remain valid in the market. Choose a duration for your order. The durations available may vary depending on the selected order route.
  • GTD (Good 'Till Date): The end date for order durations, where appropriate.
  • Account number: The account number is the default TradeStation number for the asset class that you are trading. Click the Account Number pull-down to select another account if you have multiple accounts for the selected asset class.
  • Current market prices - Bid, Last, Ask: The Bid (B), Last (L), and Ask (A) buttons show the prices for the current symbol. You can click the buttons to populate the limit price and stop price fields. Note that simply clicking a Bid, Last, or Ask button does not place an order. When ready, click the Buy or the Sell button to place the trade.

8 Place a trade

Click Buy or Sell to place your order. The Confirm Order dialog appears with the details of the transaction. Click Send to complete the transaction, or Cancel to cancel the order and return to the Trade Bar.