System and method for estimating a spread value

• US 7,542,940 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2006
• Issued: 06/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Trading Technologies International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Trading Technologies International, Inc.
• Inventors: Burns, Michael J., Harris, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Dass; Harish T.
• Application Number:
  US11/417,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20060259409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: 705 35- 38, 345/158, 345/440
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis

Abstract

An estimated spread value is computed that represents a price at which a trader might have been able to buy or sell a spread given the current market conditions of the legs. In particular, when an event occurs in one of the legs, price information is gathered from each of the other legs based on the spread definition, in addition to the defined event, and is used in estimating the value of a spread. According to one feature, the computations may be triggered by any predefined event. According to another feature, the computation may be programmed by a user to tailor the estimation process according to the type of spread being traded. The estimated spread value may be used to analyze spreads, it may be fed to other trading related software tools, or it may be used in charting.

Claims

1. A computer-based method for estimating a spread value between at least a first tradeable object and a second tradeable object, the method comprising:

receiving by a computing device a definition for a spread, wherein the spread is between a first tradeable object and a second tradeable object, the definition determining whether the first tradeable object is to be bought or sold and whether the second tradeable object is to be bought or sold to complete the spread;

receiving at the computing device a first market data from an electronic exchange, the first market data comprising a highest bid price and a lowest ask price currently available for the first tradeable object and a last traded price for the first tradeable object;

receiving at the computing device a second market data from an electronic exchange, the second market data comprising a highest bid price and a lowest ask price currently available for the second tradeable object and a last traded price for the second tradeable object;

detecting at the computing device a change in the first market data;

electronically estimating at the computing device the spread value responsive to the change in the first market data using the definition for the spread;

wherein the spread value is based on a highest bid price for the second tradeable object when the second tradeable object is to be sold or the spread value is based on a lowest offer price for the second tradeable object when the second tradeable object is to be bought; and

displaying the spread value on a screen of an electronic terminal in relation to an axis of price levels.

2. The computer-based method of claim 1 further comprising detecting a change in the first market data by detecting a subsequent last traded price indicating a new trade has occurred for the first tradeable object.

3. The computer-based method of claim 2 further comprising characterizing a last trade that has occurred at the subsequent last traded price as a trade to buy the first tradeable object when the subsequent last traded price is below the highest bid price for the first tradeable object.

4. The computer-based method of claim 3 further comprising estimating the spread value according to the spread definition when the first tradeable object is to be bought.

5. The computer-based method of claim 3 further comprising estimating the spread value according to an inverse of the spread definition when the first tradeable object is to be sold.

6. The computer-based method of claim 2 further comprising characterizing a last trade that has occurred at the subsequent last traded price as a trade to sell the first tradeable object when the subsequent last traded price is above the lowest ask price for the first tradeable object.

7. The computer-based method of claim 6 further comprising estimating the spread value according to the spread definition when the first tradeable object is to be sold.

8. The computer-based method of claim 6 further comprising estimating the spread value according to an inverse of the spread definition when the first tradeable object is to be bought.

9. The computer-based method of claim 1 further comprising detecting a change in the first market data by detecting a new highest bid price, and characterizing the change as a result of buying the first tradeable object.

10. The computer-based method of claim 9 further comprising estimating the spread value according to the spread definition when the first tradeable object is to be bought.

11. The computer-based method of claim 9 further comprising estimating the spread value according to an inverse of the spread definition when the first tradeable object is to be sold.

12. The computer-based method of claim 1 further comprising detecting a change in the first market data by detecting a new lowest ask price, and characterizing the change as a result of selling the first tradeable object.

13. The computer-based method of claim 12 further comprising estimating the spread value according to the spread definition when the first tradeable object is to be sold.

14. The computer-based method of claim 12 further comprising estimating the spread value according to an inverse of the spread definition when the first tradeable object is to be bought.

15. The computer-based method of claim 1 further comprising estimating a quantity associated with the spread value.

16. The computer-based method of claim 1 wherein the spread value is further based on a weighted average of a plurality of highest bid prices that it would take to sell the second tradeable object or based on a weighted average of a plurality of lowest offer prices that it would take to buy the second tradeable object.