Editor’s note: This article was first published in June 2012, and the free real-time service on Ecobolsa, its registration requirements (address, full name, DNI) and the remark that most free real-time platforms were free for only 1-3 months describe that time. The service may no longer exist.
Since many of you had asked me where you could find real-time quotes for the IBEX and the Mercado Continuo (Spain’s continuous market) completely free of charge, I searched and searched and finally found a website. The site is Ecobolsa. You only need to register: you’ll receive an email with your password, and from then on you have real-time data indefinitely.
I can vouch that the quotes are strictly real time, although you have to move the scroll bar every now and then to reactivate it. It also shows the volume of shares traded, plus reports and technical analysis.
There’s a “My Stocks” section where you can pick just the companies you want to follow from the whole continuous market.
What I don’t like is the amount of personal data requested to register: they ask for your address, full name and even a valid DNI (Spanish national ID number). Otherwise there’s little negative to say about the service, since most of the free real-time platforms I’ve seen are only free for 1 or 3 months, after which you’d have to pay a fee to keep using them.
To follow international markets, there’s Google Finance, which couldn’t be more complete and is also completely free.
Featured image: User:klip game, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
