BID/ASK prices differ on ORDER window than shown on charts

When trading would it be logical to expect that the prices shown on one TF chart would be the same on another HTF/LTF chart or even in the ORDER window???

For example. Here are 2 charts and an order window for GER30 (DAX Index CFD). From left to right, ORDER Window, OFFLINE CHART and Standard 1minute chart, you will notice that the BID/ASK prices are identical across the board. Just to avoid confusion, BID price is WHITE line, ASK line is RED, in the tick chart on the left of the ORDER Window BID is BLUE, ASK is RED and the large numbers in the centre of the ORDER Window are BID and ASK respectively.

Now here is where the logic goes out of the window
Here is a GBPUSD (Forex Currency) chart, again left to right is ORDER Window, OFFLINE chart and 1 minute Chart
I would like to draw your attention to the differences in the BID/ASK prices. You will see that the BID price on the STD 1m chart (Far Right) does not match the ORDER Window or the OFFLINE chart. The ASK price on both OFFLINE and Std 1m Charts do match each other but do not match the ORDER window.

Another example. EURUSD (Forex Currency) same left to right layout.
You will see that the BID price on the STD 1m chart (Far Right) does not match the ORDER Window or the OFFLINE chart. The ASK price on both OFFLINE and Std 1m Charts do match each other but do not match the ORDER window.


QUESTION.
Am I wrong in expecting the prices quoted to be identical across the board, regardless of which class of instrument, and if so Why?

I placed this question on the Metaquotes Forum a few days ago but NO ONE not even any one from Metaquotes has had the decency to respond.

I think the problem has to be with either the MT4 Platform as a whole or the Broker server.

What I deduced from analysing your screenshots is that the platform finds it easier to be in synch across the three chart windows when quoting Fixed Spreads than when quoting Variable Spreads because the Spreads on the DAX is fixed but the spreads on the other instruments are not.
Since the difference between the Bid and ask prices is the spread I expect that the offline chart may lag the main chart in real time feed.
The GBPUSD showed
SPREADS:
ORDER WINDOW 1.5
M1 CHART 0.5
OFFLINE CHART 1

EURUSD SPREADS
ORDER WINDOW 1.1
M1 CHART 0.1
OFFLINE CHART 0.6

Another matter is that the quotes on the chart windows are rounded up no decimal places, so you can see where the breakdown starts, i think that is why EA developers prefer testing their EA's on Fixed Spreads.

On the whole it's probably nothing to loose sleep about since the chart windows quotes are actually more generous than the Order window quotes.

Hi Intrepidpips. Thanks for responding. I did not think about the variable spreads bit, interesting thought.
Isn't the spread already in the tick data and what the platform is doing is transferring that information to the charts regardless of whether it is fixed or variable?
I had already thought that the offline chart might lag but why is the ASK price identical between the 1min Std chart and the Offline chart if there is a lag? also I framed this question a little differently not long ago and most of those who responded said that there was no difference in prices (no lag) between their OFFLINE and Std charts.
I agree nothing to lose sleep about but it is my nature, if there is an anomaly I like to try and find an explanation.

It all depends on how the broker sets up their server. Some brokers will push variable spread charts to fixed spread customers. This should not be a "feature" for brokers since it is akin to a "bait and switch", but it is...

The difference between chart Bid/Ask vs. the Order window Bid/Ask prices is -- unfortunately, because it's confusing -- a normal way some brokers display prices.

The Order window Bid/Ask are a tighter spread if your broker offers you a discount, i.e. a tighter spread, than they offer to... whomever.

When my broker was acquired by another (and again), the broker I ended up with does this "discount" for me and the others they acquired. Maybe new accounts can get a similar discount, based on account size or whatever is their criteria? I don't know; ask your broker.

It is confusing because the prices are different, and sometimes they "mix". For example, the Buy/Sell order lines on the chart are the true (discounted) order prices.

Below will refer to OrderAsk, OrderBid, ChartAsk, ChartBid, BidDiscount, and AskDiscount, which are somewhat self-explanatory but are also in my attached script.

Suppose you got lucky and did a Sell at the very peak of the market. If you look at the chart, your Sell line (for your order) is *above* the highest price on the chart! How can that be if price never reached that high? It's the BidDiscount. You sold at a better/higher price (OrderBid) than what the chart shows you (ChartBid).

Another: Suppose you did a Buy, and you have a stop-loss price entered, which will trigger a Sell to close. If the chart comes down and touches that S/L price, you would expect your order to close, but it doesn't until price goes *farther*, by the amount of the BidDiscount. Maybe you're surprised it missed your S/L and stayed open when the chart touches it, and this is why.

Another: Your Buy has a T/P target at an "Ask" price. (Turn on the chart Ask line to see it!). The Ask Price is rising to approach it and the order closes (T/P) just *before* the Ask line hits the target. Hey, what happened? Did they cheat me by closing out early? No, you got your price. The Chart Ask line is higher than the true OrderAsk price, by the amount of the AskDiscount.

When you drag-and-drop a T/P or S/L line to move either, they are order prices, not chart prices! (Note: For all charts, regardless of discount, this is always true for "Ask" order prices, because the chart is always Bid. When there is a discount, you have to adjust both BOTH the usual spread and the discount).

Hopefully you are following this. The discount (both BidDiscount and AskDiscount) is(are) in your favor. You get a better(higher) Bid, or a better(lower) Ask price than what the chart shows you. But it is confusing.

EA's and code must take discounts into account which is the desired price! Is it showing you an object on the chart? You want chart (Bid) prices. Is it managing an order? You want discounted prices (Bid or Ask). Is it *displaying* an order price on the chart? You have to convert by the appropriate discount (typically BidDiscount).

double OrderAsk = MarketInfo(Symbol(), MODE_ASK); // Same as "Ask" on the same symbol chart
double OrderBid = MarketInfo(Symbol(), MODE_BID); // Same as "Bid" on the same symbol chart

double ChartBid = iClose(Symbol(), 0,0); // Provided the data is refreshed on the Symbol(),Period() chart.
//double ChartAsk = ??; //I don't have method to get the *Chart* Ask. Fyi, it's not SymbolInfoDouble(Symbol(), SYMBOL_ASK )

double myPoint = MarketInfo(Symbol(), MODE_POINT)* MathPow(10,digits%2); // Scale for true pips (for Fx), never pipettes
double BidDiscount = (OrderBid-ChartBid)/myPoint;
//double AskDiscount = (ChartAsk-OrderAsk)/myPoint; // Since ChartAsk isn't possible, I observe that -- for me -- AskDiscount = BidDiscount;
double AskDiscount = BidDiscount;

double OrderSpread = (OrderAsk - OrderBid)/myPoint;
double ChartSpread = (OrderSpread+BidDiscount+AskDiscount); // Fyi, my broker seems to have 0.5p each, so 1.0p total discount.

Run the attached *Script* to check if you have any such discounts

P.S. I won't name my broker here, but without the 1.0p total discounts, I wouldn't consider the spreads very good, but with them, good enough. (0 commission). (I'd rather have an ECN and pay commissions, but MB Trading is gone, and there don't appear to be any based in the U.S. Anyone know of one, not offshore??)

TIP: By the way, if you ever have trouble keep the words "Bid" and "Ask" straight, it's easy to remember... "B" for below, "A" for above. And since you're damn sure that you can't make money by churning orders like crazy buying at the lower price, selling at the higher, then it must be that you buy at the higher price, you sell at the lower price, and the spread is the price difference. Anyway, that's how I keep them mentally straight.

The attached is a *Script*, not an Indicator! It goes under:

1. In MT4, first run File->Open Data Folder
2. Then navigate into MQL4/ then Scripts/
3. Put it under Scripts/.
4. Refresh your MT4 Navigator window, which should compile it and make it availble. (Else, manually compile it).

i never used any off line charts, so cant speak about this topic. (if this is the problem, then the rest text is not important any more and cant help you!)

when market price and chart price is different its often 1 of 2 reasons:
- your trading feed and chart feed are 2 different feeds (and broker did it wrong on your account and need to switch it), ask your broker to use same in charts then for market prices
- you broker is adding a extra cost in your spread in addition to the raw spread , the chart has raw spread shown (without the spread add on , whats in your case 0.5 pip to each side, so 1 pip add on), or your broker adds the commission inside the spread???

some broker can only show rawspread in chart because they have different trading account types , but use only one chart feed. the market feed (with this 1 pip add on spread) is then because of your account type?

maybe you can check this with your broker, its most easy way!

Wow!!!! Thank you every one for your responses, I am familiar with separate ORDER servers and DATA servers having traded Futures for 12 years I just never knew how MT4 handled this, so thank you for clearing that up for me. I was never sure how the brokers implemented Spread whether it was on a local level Installed app in computer or if it was transmitted within the Data stream. The difference in ORDER window price and Chart price is handled on the Futures platforms by being able to tweak the feed and therefore matching prices up, I only had to do this once when I changed Data Provider after that you tend to forget about it so I was used to prices matching up.
No closer to solving the problem of the price differences between std TF charts and offline charts and why this is only affecting a few people but hey it would not be MT4 if it just worked for every one.

This "indicator" should fix your issues by displaying the correct bid/ask lines on the chart.

That is amazing, thank you very much. After weeks of asking about this on various forums you have come up with the perfect fix. If you don't mind me asking what was the problem and how have you fixed it? just to fill a knowledge gap for me. Again, thank you.

I'm overriding the broker's chart-tick-data with the actual market tick-data by removing the default bid/ask lines and drawing new market-data lines.

Hah! Excellent. That explains why the charts with OVOs commercial Renko generator worked perfectly. Thank you for the information.

There is a trivial flaw in my script's use of a statement to detect whether run on a "weekend" vs. normal market hours. A message about it being run on the weekend does not work as intended, either not appearing at all, or appearing always (depending on user's options).

I thought this would do the trick, but it doesn't. It merely detects whether this option is checked or not -- regardless of market hours:
Tools->Options->Expert Advisors->Allow automated trading

//NO! Following does not work as intended:
if( MQLInfoInteger(MQL_TRADE_ALLOWED) == 0) Alert(chartStr," NOTE: MQL program is unable-to-trade (offline,weekend,rollover,?). Bid/Ask/spread prices may be unavailable-or-EXTREME values. Run again when market is open.");

Anyone know of a way to reliably detect whether it's the weekend or not?
During the weekend, "TimeCurrent()" is stuck on the last live tick value. But it also could be unchanged for several seconds during quiet market times, and during rollover each day.

I could use "Sleep(x)" in a Script such as this to impose a delay and check twice whether TimeCurrent() has changed or not. But I need the same for indicators, and "Sleep(x)" doesn't work in indicators. I would need to process multiple ticks, and also to distinguish these from "Refresh" (fake ticks).

I'm looking for another function or status that can reliably detect whether it's the weekend or not. Thanks in advance for any ideas.

Kent

you can check for day of week and time of day, when you know the exact time when broker opens and close market.

Please do tell, do I attach this to the M1 chart alone or to just the offline charts alone, or both?

Thanks.