IB click on bid

Discussion in 'Interactive Brokers' started by Lobster, May 9, 2003.

  1. Let me put it like this: Either I have not figured out how to do it or I have a suggestion for an easy to implement yet huge improvement to IB's TWS:

    Is there a setting that I can change so that if I click on a stock's bid price and my position in this stock is 0 or negative, TWS brings up a SHORT order instead of a SELL?
     
  2. a sell is the same as a short in ib.
     
  3. amg

    amg Guest

    Your TWS version is out of date.

    Mine has a special "Read My Mind" Option+Right Click.

    I don't usually "quip", but if you think about it, there's little reason for the s/w to presume because your position is negative that you want the opposite.

    Loads of people pyramid losing positions, wrong as that seems, in the belief they will be proven right with the so-called benefit of a lower average cost.

    Better to leave the option user-selected and avoid all doubt.
     
  4. By "negative position" I meant being short that stock, not negative P/L.

    I'll see if I can get that right click thing to work...
     
  5. def

    def Sponsor

    As a "cleared" client, IB knows your position and flags and treats orders properly. You do not need to use the sell short feature. (some brokers and professional traders/funds need to flag orders and that is why the feature is available).
     
  6. nitro

    nitro

    Yeah, I never understood this. The only thing I can think of is that a pro firms is treated as one entity and the system cannot tell if it needs to mark it short or not, so they just force it on the trader.

    nitro :confused:
     
  7. Thanks def!

    Why didn't anyone tell me? I was suspecting it, but the only "official" information from IB that I remembered was something in the account agreement about having to mark my orders short...
     
  8. What about if I'm long 500 shares and put in an order to sell 1000? Does IB split it as 2 orders so as to not need an up tick on the first 500 shares? Is my commission based on a 1000 share order?
     
  9. sprstpd

    sprstpd

    It splits it as 2 orders. Could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure the commission is based on a 1000 share order.