We use the same method for calculating advances and declines, so our numbers are remarkably similar except for one thing: All the other sites are delayed by 15 minutes or more, where Volume Now is in real-time.

The Heat Gauge (HG) displays just how bullish or bearish the market is in real-time. It does this through an original formula that measures advance/decline volume data. Values rising above zero indicate that sellers have control and the market is “heating up”, while negative values show that things are “cooling down” and buyers are taking over.

Real Feel attempts to put the numbers into a perspective that’s easier to grasp. HG jumping a few numbers may not seem like a lot, but if it goes from BALMY to SCORCHING you know things have heated up quite a bit.

Volume is the change in overall volume from the previous session. The data is run through a complex equation which smooths out the curve and evenly distributes the numbers. On low to normal volume days you can get a pretty accurate picture of the volume change for the entire day between 12pm and 2pm. On days when volume runs higher (Fed announcements, Op-ex, etc.), the numbers can jump around more intraday, so it may be best to wait until 3:30 or so before making an assessment.

Optimism Meter (OM) measures market optimism by examining advancing and declining issues. Volume shows market sentiment, but the number of stocks going up or down can help give an idea of how much skin is in the game. Our algorithm processes the up to the minute moves of over 6000 issues. The result is a simple percentage number: when it's trending above 50-60%, things are looking up. When it slides down below 40%, look out below.

Next Day Move (NDM) tells the direction that SPY (or the S&P 500) will go by the close of the next trading day. The definitions are as follows:

SIDEWAYS : > -.20% and < .20%

SIDEWAYS UP : >= 0 and < .20%

SIDEWAYS DOWN : < 0 and > -.20%

UP : >= .20%

DOWN : <= -.20%

It’s also important to note that:

SIDEWAYS includes both SIDEWAYS UP and SIDEWAYS DOWN

SIDEWAYS UP is also an UP day

SIDEWAYS DOWN is also a DOWN day

Although many sites claim to have accurate quotes, you'll often find the data to be quite inconsistent. Here we analyze data from numerous sources and use a method that limits outliers and eliminates inconsistencies. The result is the most accurate and up to the minute price of SPY you'll find on any website.

It's one thing to know which stocks are the most up or down, but which ones are most of the money flowing into? Using a variation of dollar volume (volume times price), we can see exactly which names are leading the advances and declines. And again, their lists are delayed where Biggest is in real-time.