Method and System for Displaying and Trading Spreads

Abstract

A trading application can receive price and quantity information for tradeable objects. The trading application can compute implied price and quantity information for spreads of the tradeable objects. Direct and indirect price and quantity information for the spreads can be displayed in a manner that shows the relationship with each other and with the price and quantity information for the tradeable objects.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A computer readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by a processor, including instructions executable to:
 generate a first area associated with a first tradeable object, wherein the first area includes a first highest bid price, a first lowest ask price, a first highest bid quantity, and a first lowest ask quantity;   generate a second area associated with a second tradeable object, wherein the second area includes a second highest bid price, a second lowest ask price, a second highest bid quantity, and a second lowest ask quantity;   generate a first spread area associated with a first type of spread between the first tradeable object and the second tradeable object, wherein the first spread area includes a first spread highest bid price, a first spread lowest ask price, a first spread highest bid quantity, and a first spread lowest ask quantity;   display the first area, the second area, and the first spread area, wherein the second area is displayed substantially adjacent to the first area along a first axis, wherein the first spread area is displayed along a second axis, wherein the second axis is parallel and substantially adjacent to the first axis, wherein the first spread area is substantially centered with respect to the first area and the second area to correlate the first type of spread to the first tradeable object and the second tradeable object;   provide a first order entry region configured to receive a command to initiate a trade order for the first tradeable object, wherein the first area includes the first order entry region, wherein the trade order for the first tradeable object includes a price based on one of the first highest bid price and the first lowest ask price;   provide a second order entry region configured to receive a command to initiate a trade order for the second tradeable object, wherein the second area includes the second order entry region, wherein the trade order for the second tradeable object includes a price based on one of the second highest bid price and the second lowest ask price; and   provide a first spread order entry region configured to receive a command to initiate a trade order for the first type of spread, wherein the first spread area includes the first spread order entry region, wherein the trade order for the first type of spread includes a price based on one of the first spread highest bid price and the first spread lowest ask price.   
     
     
         3 . The computer readable medium of  claim 2 , wherein the first axis is one of vertical and horizontal. 
     
     
         4 . The computer readable medium of  claim 2 , wherein the first area includes a first identifier for the first tradeable object, wherein the second area includes a second identifier for the second tradeable object, wherein the first spread area includes a first spread identifier for the first type of spread. 
     
     
         5 . The computer readable medium of  claim 2 , wherein the first type of spread is a calendar spread. 
     
     
         6 . The computer readable medium of  claim 2 , further including instructions executable to:
 receive the first spread highest bid price and the first spread lowest ask price from one of a gateway and an electronic exchange.   
     
     
         7 . The computer readable medium of  claim 2 , further including instructions executable to:
 calculate the first spread highest bid price and the first spread lowest ask price based on the first highest bid price, the first lowest ask price, the second highest bid price, and the second lowest ask price.   
     
     
         8 . The computer readable medium of  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first spread highest bid price and the first spread lowest ask price includes an implied price. 
     
     
         9 . The computer readable medium of  claim 2 , further including instructions executable to:
 generate a third area associated with a third tradeable object, wherein the third area includes a third highest bid price, a third lowest ask price, a third highest bid quantity, and a third lowest ask quantity;   generate a second spread area associated with a second type of spread between the first tradeable object, the second tradeable object, and the third tradeable object, wherein the second spread area includes a second spread highest bid price, a second spread lowest ask price, a second spread highest bid quantity, and a second spread lowest ask quantity;   display the third area, wherein the third area is displayed substantially adjacent to the second area along the first axis;   display the second spread area, wherein the second spread area is displayed along a third axis, wherein the third axis is parallel and substantially adjacent to the second axis, wherein the second spread area is substantially centered with respect to the first area, the second area, and the third area to correlate the second type of spread to the first tradeable object, the second tradeable object, and the third tradeable object;   provide a third order entry region configured to receive a command to initiate a trade order for the third tradeable object, wherein the third area includes the third order entry region, wherein the trade order for the third tradeable object includes a price based on one of the third highest bid price and the third lowest ask price; and   provide a second spread order entry region configured to receive a command to initiate a trade order for the second type of spread, wherein the second spread area includes the second spread order entry region, wherein the trade order for the second type of spread includes a price based on one of the second spread highest bid price and the second spread lowest ask price.   
     
     
         10 . The computer readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the third area includes a third identifier for the third tradeable object, wherein the second spread area includes a second spread identifier for the second type of spread. 
     
     
         11 . The computer readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the second type of spread is a butterfly spread. 
     
     
         12 . The computer readable medium of  claim 9 , further including instructions executable to:
 receive the second spread highest bid price and the second spread lowest ask price from one of a gateway and an electronic exchange.   
     
     
         13 . The computer readable medium of  claim 9 , further including instructions executable to:
 calculate the second spread highest bid price and the second spread lowest ask price based on the first highest bid price, the first lowest ask price, the second highest bid price, the second lowest ask price, the third highest bid price, and the third lowest ask price.   
     
     
         14 . The computer readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein at least one of the second spread highest bid price and the second spread lowest ask price includes an implied price. 
     
     
         15 . The computer readable medium of  claim 9 , further including instructions executable to:
 generate a fourth area associated with a fourth tradeable object, wherein the fourth area includes a fourth highest bid price, a fourth lowest ask price, a fourth highest bid quantity, and a fourth lowest ask quantity;   generate a third spread area associated with a third type of spread between the first tradeable object, the second tradeable object, the third tradeable object, and the fourth tradeable object, wherein the third spread area includes a third spread highest bid price, a third spread lowest ask price, a third spread highest bid quantity, and a third spread lowest ask quantity;   display the fourth area, wherein the fourth area is displayed substantially adjacent to the third area along the first axis;   display the third spread area, wherein the third spread area is displayed along a fourth axis, wherein the fourth axis is parallel and substantially adjacent to the third axis, wherein the third spread area is substantially centered with respect to the first area, the second area, the third area, and the fourth area to correlate the third type of spread to the first tradeable object, the second tradeable object, the third tradeable object, and the fourth tradeable object;   provide a fourth order entry region configured to receive a command to initiate a trade order for the fourth tradeable object, wherein the fourth area includes the fourth order entry region, wherein the trade order for the fourth tradeable object includes a price based on one of the fourth highest bid price and the fourth lowest ask price; and   provide a third spread order entry region configured to receive a command to initiate a trade order for the third type of spread, wherein the third spread area includes the third spread order entry region, wherein the trade order for the third type of spread includes a price based on one of the third spread highest bid price and the third spread lowest ask price.   
     
     
         16 . The computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the fourth area includes a fourth identifier for the fourth tradeable object, wherein the third spread area includes a third spread identifier for the third type of spread. 
     
     
         17 . The computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the third type of spread is a condor spread. 
     
     
         18 . The computer readable medium of  claim 15 , further including instructions executable to:
 receive the third spread highest bid price and the third spread lowest ask price from one of a gateway and an electronic exchange.   
     
     
         19 . The computer readable medium of  claim 15 , further including instructions executable to:
 calculate the third spread highest bid price and the third spread lowest ask price based on the first highest bid price, the first lowest ask price, the second highest bid price, the second lowest ask price, the third highest bid price, the third lowest ask price, the fourth highest bid price, and the fourth lowest ask price.   
     
     
         20 . The computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein at least one of the third spread highest bid price and the third spread lowest ask price includes an implied price.