Market Data, Tickers, and Tapes

Market data, tickers, and tapes covers quote, trade, depth, reference, ticker, tape, and historical dealer-quotation evidence.

Use this branch when the issue is how a symbol, feed, tape, or quotation publication identifies and reports market information. The canonical article keeps stock ticker, ticker tape, and yellow sheets in one data-lineage context instead of treating each display format as an independent market concept.

What This Branch Covers

Decision Lens

Ticker and tape evidence helps identify what was displayed, not necessarily what was executable. Confirm the exact security, field, source, market coverage, timestamp, and condition before using the data for a trade, valuation, or comparison.

Move to Securities Identifiers and Reference Data when the issue is exact instrument identity. Move to Quotes and Executable Prices when the issue is tradeability.

Evaluation Checklist

• Match ticker, exchange, issuer, share class, currency, and a durable security identifier.
• Check whether the data is real-time, delayed, adjusted, consolidated, or venue-specific.
• Confirm field definitions before comparing vendor data.
• Treat quotes, tape prints, dealer indications, reference fields, and derived values as different evidence types.
• Use trade confirmations or execution reports when the actual fill matters.

Common Mistakes

• Treating a ticker as a permanent identifier.
• Comparing ticker-tape prints without condition codes and timestamps.
• Using dealer quotation publications as if they were exchange trades.
• Ignoring symbol changes, share classes, and cross-listings.
• Mixing adjusted and unadjusted data.

For broader context, return to Market Data, Tickers, and Screening Tools.

In this section

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