Doug:
I am a long-time holder of Novartis via Ciba-Geigy. I have real time quotes, but NVTSY is not traded normally. At the open, you get a bid/ask based on the price in Switzerland. You don't see the individual trades ever, only a summary open, high, low, volume at end of day. The bid/ask is usually adjusted once a day, but some days it is blank. When I place an order, I call my brokerage and ask them to call the trading desk to get a true bid/ask--it can be vastly different than what is posted. Don't trust the broker's bid/ask quote. Like I said, it is the same for most of the day, and not correct most of the time. He will quote what he sees on his screen. Make sure to pressure him into calling the trading desk--most are reluctant to do this. The only true bid/ask has to come from the trading desk. I hope this leads you to excellent fills! There is a big volume in the stock everyday, so don't be afraid to put limit orders in. |
