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Forbes
a day ago
- Business
- Forbes
What Is Unusual Whales? A Platform For Options Flow And Congressional Trade Tracking
Unusual Whales is an excellent platform for retail traders seeking actionable insights from options ... More flow data to political trading activity to leverage for profit. Unusual Whales was launched in 2020 during an era defined by retail traders holding their own against Wall Street during the GameStop short squeeze. This period highlighted the necessity of institutional-level data and trading tools for main street investors which previously would have been inaccessible due to financial or arbitrary constraints. Unusual Whales, a financial data and analytics platform, now exists to fill this gap by providing access to options flow data, institutional activity and political trading activity. In this guide, you'll learn how the platform works, the key offerings and constraints of the platform, and whether it's right for you based on your experience level and trading needs. What Is Unusual Whales? Unusual Whales is a platform for options flow and congressional trade tracking, founded in 2020 by an anonymous team of traders and data analysts. Their mission is to level the playing field by making market insights available to retail traders, whether they're advanced in their trading ability or beginners. The platform pulls options flow and congressional trades data from exchanges and filings and provides these alongside proprietary tools to democratize informed trading. How Unusual Whales Works Unusual Whales works by displaying options activity in real time from exchanges and political trading activity from STOCK Act filings. This platform makes institutional-level data and tools available to retail traders, making it easier for traders to acquire alpha whether they're discerning trends from whale trades, spotting anomalies in trade activity which could indicate future price moves or capitalizing on market sentiment. Traders can make use of advanced screeners and set filters to identify profitable trades. Unusual Whales has been doubling down on increasing access to congressional trade tracking by making data from the STOCK Act database available and searchable through its platform. Like the Dub app, users can find out how politicians and their associated members are trading, and trade along them to achieve the high returns of the public servants who are potentially trading on insider information. Users can detect trends through politician trade tracking, search for trades by politician or party, or find action in specific sectors or by ticker. Key Features Of Unusual Whales Unusual Whales offers a suite of advanced tools and advanced data access for both institutional and retail traders. With these tools and this data, traders can trade on insights whether they're reviewing options flow, block trades or the trades of politicians. Unusual Whales' Real-Time Data feature delivers a real-time feed of options flow, block trades and trades by institutional players. Users can detect trends immediately as trades occur, and set alerts for trade activity for both their phones, desktops or even Discord servers. Unusual Whales' stock and options screeners offer traders the ability to search through millions of trades by characteristics like ticker, sector or trade size. Users can scan for unusual activity, big price changes or anomalies within options flow. Users can also set up custom screens and set alerts as well as filter across trades by expiration data or level of institutional activity. Politician Trade Portfolios is an innovative feature, similar to the Autopilot app, which displays trades by Senators, members of the House and their families and staff. Users can review these trades by sector or time period, and review the success or failures of these trades by individual or party. Politicians Trade Portfolios also enables users to detect trends based on politicians' trade activity. Whales Activity Monitors is a useful feature which shows institutional-sized trades and large block trades in both equities and options. Users can use this feature to detect trends in specific sectors, for certain stocks, and within filters like trades by market cap or price range. This feature also enables users to set alerts for when large trades occur in general. Options Flow Scanner offers users a scanner of options trades which are institutional-sized. Users can filter by expiration, sector, price range and more. This feature can be used to review trades within a certain time frame and to detect a breakout or reversal for a particular ticker. The Congressional Trades Tracker reveals trades by Senators, members of the House and other political actors. This feature enables traders to review transactions by sector or company as well as purchases or sales of equities by party or political position. Traders can use the Tracker to detect patterns which may result in future price movements as well as predict future actions by Congress or the White House by trade action. Options flow reveals institutional activity by whales across options trades like puts, calls and spreads. Options flow can be used to review market sentiment from large trades and to detect reversals or the breakout of a trend from trading activity. Options flow can also be used by traders to assess risk versus reward for trades. Criticisms and Concerns To Know Unusual Whales is a useful platform for advanced traders but the data offered could be overwhelming for beginner investors who don't know how to leverage it for successful trading. Another downside of the platform is that its widespread offering of real-time data could reduce the data's edge for traders. Finally, the platform's price tag of $50+ a month could be a bit pricey for investors who don't fully utilize all of the data offered or who don't trade at the volume of higher-volume traders. On the congressional trading side, if too many traders are trading on data like a certain congressperson's trades, this could decrease the efficiency of the market while also inflating the politician's positions. Politicians' trades may also not be informed despite their wealth of information access, resulting in losses for investors. Congressional trade filing delays can also result in losses in traders if politicians exit the position before the next filing date. What Type of Investors May Use Unusual Whales? Unusual Whales is ideal for experienced retail traders looking for an edge by gaining access to institutional trading activity. For example, an options trader could gain an edge by detecting an early signal of an institutional trading play through Unusual Whales. Day traders also utilize the platform to monitor options flow. The platform's political and congressional insights are also useful for investors who are trying to detect political trends and leverage this for trading. Through congressional trading data, investors can predict potential geopolitical or legislative moves on the horizon like a military action or change in trade policy. Bottom Line Unusual Whales is an excellent platform for retail traders seeking actionable insights from options flow data to political trading activity to leverage for profit. With activity monitors for institutional trades and advanced filtering and alert abilities, sophisticated traders can find the signal necessary to effectively trade along with a community of like-minded investors making waves in the market. Unusual Whales continues to add new tools and data access, increasingly making it an ideal option for retail traders seeking alpha. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Is Unusual Whales Free To Use? Unusual Whales does offer limited free access but for its advanced tools, data and API access, you'll need to pay for subscriptions starting at $50 a month. How Accurate Is Unusual Whales' Congressional Trade Data? Unusual Whales' congressional trade data is very accurate as it sources its data from official STOCK Act filings and updates this data in nearly-real time. Is Unusual Whales Beginner Friendly? Unusual Whales offers advanced analytics and trading tools which do have a learning curve for beginners but if sufficiently motivated, beginners can learn and utilize the tools and data offered. Where Does Unusual Whales Get Its Data From? Unusual Whales gets its options flow data from market exchanges and congressional trade data from STOCK Act filings.
Geeky Gadgets
19-06-2025
- Geeky Gadgets
The Secret to Fixing Excel Table Formula Chaos : Fix It Now
Have you ever carefully crafted a formula in Excel, only to watch it unravel into chaos the moment you copy it across columns? It's a maddening quirk of Excel tables—structured references that seem to have a mind of their own. One minute, they're absolute and unyielding; the next, they're shifting and breaking your calculations. This inconsistency isn't just frustrating—it can derail entire workflows, especially when working with large datasets. If you've ever felt like Excel tables are sabotaging your formulas, you're not alone. The good news? There's a fix, and it's simpler than you might think. My Online Training Hub uncover the one thing Excel tables consistently get wrong: their inability to reliably lock column references. More importantly, we'll show you how to take back control using techniques like double square brackets and structured references. Along the way, you'll discover how to prevent formula errors, streamline your workflow, and even tackle advanced scenarios like multi-column calculations. Whether you're a data analyst, a small business owner, or just someone looking to make Excel less of a headache, these insights will transform the way you work with tables. Because when your formulas are stable, your confidence in your data grows. Locking Excel Column References The Problem with Excel Tables Excel tables handle structured references inconsistently, which can create confusion and errors during formula manipulation. For example: When you use `Ctrl+C` and `Ctrl+V` , structured references behave as absolute, meaning they remain fixed regardless of where the formula is pasted. , structured references behave as absolute, meaning they remain fixed regardless of where the formula is pasted. When you drag formulas across columns, structured references act as relative, shifting the referenced columns and potentially causing inaccuracies. This inconsistency can disrupt calculations, especially in large or complex datasets. To maintain the integrity of your formulas, it is crucial to understand how to lock column references effectively. How to Lock Column References To prevent errors, you can lock column references in Excel tables by using double square brackets (`[[Column]:[Column]]`). This syntax explicitly defines the column or range of columns, making sure the reference remains absolute when formulas are copied or dragged. For instance: If you want to reference a column named 'Sales' in a table called 'Data,' use `Data[[Sales]:[Sales]]`. Excel can auto-generate this syntax when you select the column directly, reducing the risk of manual errors and saving time. This method ensures that your formulas remain stable, even when the table structure changes or formulas are moved to different locations. Fix the One Thing Excel Tables Constantly Mess Up Watch this video on YouTube. Take a look at other insightful guides from our broad collection that might capture your interest in Excel structured references. Working with Multiple Columns When working with multiple columns, locking references becomes even more critical. You can define a range of columns using double square brackets, such as `Data[[Sales]:[Profit]]`. This approach ensures that the reference remains fixed, even when formulas are copied across rows or columns. If you need relative references for multiple columns, you can omit the double square brackets and specify the table name along with the column range. This flexibility is particularly useful for calculations that need to adjust dynamically based on the formula's position. Using the `@` Symbol for Row References Excel simplifies row references in tables with the `@` symbol, which refers to the current row of a specific column. For example, `Data[@Sales]` references the 'Sales' value in the same row as the formula. To lock row references, you can create fixed references for specific columns, making sure the formula remains consistent across rows. This technique is especially useful for calculations that rely on row-specific data, such as row-based summaries or comparisons. Practical Applications Mastering structured references and locking techniques can significantly enhance the accuracy and efficiency of your formulas. Here are some practical examples: Using SUMIFS: Lock criteria ranges to calculate totals accurately across filtered data without introducing errors. Lock criteria ranges to calculate totals accurately across filtered data without introducing errors. Applying XLOOKUP: Combine structured references with absolute and relative references to retrieve data from single or multiple columns effectively. Combine structured references with absolute and relative references to retrieve data from single or multiple columns effectively. Allocating Overheads: Distribute costs across departments using stable formulas that remain consistent, even if the table structure changes. These applications demonstrate how locking references can simplify complex calculations and improve the reliability of your data analysis. Tips for Streamlining Your Workflow To work more efficiently with structured references and avoid common pitfalls, consider these tips: Use Excel's auto-generation: Let Excel auto-generate structured reference syntax by selecting ranges directly in your formulas. This minimizes manual input and reduces errors. Let Excel auto-generate structured reference syntax by selecting ranges directly in your formulas. This minimizes manual input and reduces errors. Use keyboard shortcuts: Familiarize yourself with shortcut keys to quickly insert brackets and column names, saving time during formula creation. Familiarize yourself with shortcut keys to quickly insert brackets and column names, saving time during formula creation. Explore table-specific features: Take advantage of Excel's table-specific functionalities, such as automatic column naming and dynamic range adjustments, to simplify your workflow. These strategies can help you save time and ensure your formulas are both accurate and easy to manage. Additional Resources To deepen your understanding of structured references and their practical applications, consider downloading a cheat sheet summarizing the different reference types and their syntax. This resource provides a quick reference for: Locking column references using double square brackets. Handling relative and absolute references effectively. Using the `@` symbol for row-specific calculations. By mastering these techniques, you can overcome the limitations of Excel tables and ensure your formulas remain stable and accurate, regardless of how they are copied or adjusted. These skills will not only improve your data management but also enhance your overall productivity when working with Excel. Media Credit: MyOnlineTrainingHub Filed Under: Guides Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.
