I get asked this at least once a week: “How do I see how many shares are being bought and sold right now?” Most beginners open a chart, look at the volume bar, and think that's enough. It’s not. There’s a huge difference between total volume and actual buy/sell breakdown. In this guide, I’ll show you exactly where to dig up that data, how to read it without getting a headache, and what it really tells you about where a stock might go next.
Why Bother with Buy/Sell Numbers?
Volume is the pulse of the market. But total volume (like 5 million shares traded) only tells you half the story. You need to know how many were bought vs. how many were sold to gauge real demand. When I first started trading, I only looked at price action. Missed so many reversals because I ignored that massive sell order hiding behind a green candle. Buy/sell volume helps you confirm trends – if a stock is rallying but most trades are sells (aggressive selling on the ask), that rally is fake. Conversely, if it drops but buyers keep stepping in, that's a potential bottom.
I personally track two metrics: tick volume (number of trades) and real volume (shares exchanged). The ratio of buys to sells – often called the delta – is a game changer.
Where to See Real-Time Volume (Free & Paid)
Not all platforms show buy/sell breakdown. Here’s where I get mine:
| Platform | What It Shows | Free or Paid? | My Take |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yahoo Finance | Total volume, average volume, after-hours volume | Free | Good for quick glance, no buy/sell split. |
| TradingView | Volume profile, delta indicator (via script) | Free tier available; Pro for real-time | I use the “Volume Delta” script – gives buy/sell per bar. |
| Thinkorswim (TD Ameritrade) | Level 2, Time & Sales, Cumulative Delta | Free with account | Best free platform for real depth. |
| Webull | Level 2, Time & Sales, trade direction | Free | Good mobile app, but data can be delayed. |
| Bloomberg Terminal | Full order book, tick data, algo flow | $$$ (thousands/year) | Overkill for most retail traders. |
Step-by-Step: Check Volume on Popular Platforms
1. On TradingView (Free Version)
Open a chart, click “Indicators”, search for “Volume Delta”. Apply the one by “LonesomeTheBlue” (free). You’ll see green/red bars on top of the volume columns – green means more buying, red means more selling. I adjust the settings to show cumulative delta below the chart. Example: Watch TSLA on a 5-min chart. If you see a series of green bars during a pullback, that’s accumulation – I’d look to buy.
2. On Thinkorswim (TOS)
Go to Analyze > Studies > Edit Studies. Add “CumulativeDelta”. I set it to show as a histogram. Then open “Time & Sales” window (right-click chart) to see every trade with a “B” or “S” label. Pro tip: Filter Time & Sales by “Size” > 1000 shares to spot institutional flow.
3. On Webull Mobile
Tap the stock, go to “Depth” tab (Level 2), then swipe right to “Tick”. Every trade is colored: green for buy (hit ask), red for sell (hit bid). I count the ratio mentally – if 70% of recent ticks are green, the stock has upward momentum.
Level 1 vs Level 2: Which One Shows True Buying?
Level 1 only tells you the current bid/ask and last price. You can't see the order book depth. Level 2 reveals all pending buy and sell orders – the real supply and demand. But here's the catch: Level 2 shows orders, not executed trades. To see actual buying vs selling, you need Time & Sales combined with Level 2. I use both: Level 2 to see where the big walls are (e.g., a giant sell order at $100), and Time & Sales to see if buyers are blowing through that wall. When I see a huge block trade go through at the ask, I know real buying is happening – not just spoofing.
I've personally found that many retail traders rely solely on Level 2 and get faked out by spoof orders. Always check Time & Sales to confirm. If you see a massive buy order on Level 2 but no actual large trades, it’s likely a fake.
How to Interpret Volume Spikes and Patterns
Volume alone is noise without context. Here are three specific patterns I've traded successfully dozens of times:
- Climax Volume (Exhaustion): A massive spike in both volume and price range, followed by a quick reversal. Example: In June 2022, AMZN had a 3x average volume day on a huge drop. That was panic selling – next week it bounced 15%. I bought the dip after seeing the buying delta turn positive.
- Volume Divergence: Price makes a higher high but volume decreases. That’s a weakening trend. I shorted AAPL on such a divergence in March; it dropped 5% the next day.
- Buying vs Selling Climax: Compare total volume to the delta. If total volume is double the average but the delta is close to zero, it’s just a tug-of-war – avoid. If delta is strongly positive (say +80%), that’s institutional accumulation.
3 Rookie Mistakes I See All the Time
- Confusing total volume with buying pressure. A stock can have huge volume but most trades are sells – look at the color of ticks, not just the bar height.
- Ignoring the spread. If the bid-ask spread is wide (e.g., $0.20) and you see a big buy at the ask, it might be a market order, not smart money. Tight spreads (under $0.05) indicate liquidity – those trades are more reliable.
- Over-relying on Level 2 without Time & Sales. I fell for a spoof once – a giant bid wall that disappeared the moment I placed a limit order. Now I only act when I see actual trades hitting that level.
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