eSignal is a fantastic software application on its own, but its companion products are also available to you, and you should be aware of their benefits too so that you can use them to your advantage. This is a quick look at a few of them, as well as some links pointing you to where you can get more information. These additional services and tools may not be for everyone, but it’s important to have all the information you can to help you achieve your trading goals.

An Old Friend Becomes New Again
Those of you who have been with eSignal for a decade or more should remember that little handheld device called QuoTrek. Long before PDAs, cell phones and instant messaging existed, QuoTrek was a portable tool way ahead of its time for getting real-time quotes using radio transmissions in most major markets in the United States.

Now that the technology has become ancient, and, after we’ve completely retired the original service, the next generation of QuoTrek has come into being. This new service is similar in concept to the original QuoTrek but based on the latest technology. You can now get your real-time data on several types of handheld devices, including Palm, BlackBerry and many of your favorite cell phones.

Figure 1: Several Devices That Can Run QuoTrek

With continually advancing technology for handheld devices, we’ve been able to do much more than display your real-time quotes. QuoTrek can show you quotes, charts, Options Chain lookups and news. You can even add advanced charting studies to get a much better look at your favorite stock. This service is available as a standalone product or, at a considerable savings, as an add-on to your eSignal subscription. For more information, please follow the link below.

http://www.quotrek.com/default.asp

Any Computer Will Do
MarketCenter LIVE is a web-based product that can also be used as a standalone product or as an add-on to an eSignal subscription. This service gives you many of the same great tools you get in eSignal without going as far as its eSignal big brother.

As an add-on, it allows you to take your trading on the road with you. Because it is all offered through the web and everything is stored on our servers, you can take a look at your portfolio from any computer that has Internet access. This is great for those business trips or that occasional vacation. It also gives you something to look at from home if you only run eSignal on a computer at work.

While your eSignal pages aren’t linked to this companion service, you can easily add your favorite stocks into multiple portfolios with MarketCenter LIVE and can set up charts and news windows with a simple click from the toolbar. For more information, please follow the link below.

http://www.marketcenterlive.com/default.asp

Scan the Market
Several scanners are available to eSignal users. We have a suite of eSignal Market Scanners, as well as the Advanced GET Scanner, all of which can all help you take a more focused look at the U.S. equity markets.

The eSignal Market Scanners look at several aspects of the market, each with their own spin, and allow you to create strategies to pick out the best symbols for your trading style. The PreMarket Scan takes a look at the trading happening before the full market opens. Strategies for making trades at this time in the trading day are very different from something you might do once the market is completely open.

Figure 2: View of a PreMarket Scan

The Rally Scan looks at specific periods of time during which big money usually pushes the leaders up or down. The activity at these times is compared to the rest of the trading activity to let you know when something is happening outside the normal trading patterns.

There’s also a Hot Groups Scan that takes a look at symbols within their market sectors and shows how they’re doing compared to other companies in each group. This is more of a visual scanner, giving you a unique overview of the market.

Figure 3: View of a Hot Groups Scan

There are several additional scanner types, and you can see more information about each one by going to the link below. There’s also some great information about the Advanced GET scanner, which allows you to apply strategy rules to your scan of the market, including ones based on Elliott Wave theory.

http://www.esignal.com/scanners/default.asp

Your Option to Trade Options
Option trading has been growing exponentially. So many factors, such as risk tolerance and time value, play into a trading decision that it can be a very dangerous place for someone who doesn’t have enough tools to navigate through the thousands of chains.

OptionsPlus is an add-on tool that lets you search for specific position strategies, such as Butterfly and Calendar calls, and then create “What-If” scenarios to find the ones that work best for you. There are also graphical elements to this tool, including 2-D and 3-D charts, to help you find that specific position at the top of the curve.

Figure 4: 3-D View of a Volatility Chart in OptionsPlus

This is a very analytical tool that requires a lot of time to pick out the trades that fit you best, but it’s worth the time and add-on expense. The Options market has a lot of leverage and a lot of great opportunities for the trader who has the right tools. For more information, please follow the link below.

http://www.esignal.com/esignal/features/featureslist/optionsplus.asp

A Friend to the End
Whether you’re on the go or want to spend extra time with advanced analytical tools, these eSignal companion services can become your best friend. Take a QuoTrek to lunch, watch MarketCenter LIVE at home and use OptionsPlus and the scanners in the wee hours of the morning before the market gets a chance to open, and you’ll be prepared for the best trading day you ever had.