Chart Market Internals: TICK, TVOL & DVOL
If you trade index futures like ES or NQ, the futures chart tells you only half the story. Here's how to turn on the market-internals feed and get TICK, TVOL, UVOL, and DVOL on a chart in about two minutes.
If you trade index futures like ES or NQ, the futures chart tells you only half the story. Market internals, TICK, TVOL, UVOL, and DVOL, show what the broader stock market is doing underneath the index. When breadth pushes hard one way, your setup has the wind at its back; when it's split, that "clean" breakout is far more likely to fail. Tradovate carries these feeds, and once you know where to switch them on, getting one on a chart takes about two minutes.
What Are Market Internals in Tradovate?
Market internals measure the internal health of the stock market, how many stocks are rising versus falling, and how much volume sits behind each side. They're pulled from the underlying NYSE-listed stocks, not from the futures contract itself, so they read the market in a way the ES chart alone can't. The four you'll lean on most:
- ^TICK, NYSE stocks on an uptick minus those on a downtick, right now. Big positive spikes mean broad buying; deep negatives mean broad selling.
- ^TVOL, total volume across every issue on the exchange for the session. A gauge of how much participation is behind the day's move.
- ^UVOL, up (advancing) volume: the combined volume of every stock trading higher on the day.
- ^DVOL, down (declining) volume: the combined volume of every stock trading lower.
Read UVOL against DVOL and you see which side is winning on volume. Note the caret (^) prefix, that's how Tradovate flags an index or internal symbol rather than a tradable contract. You can't buy or sell these; they're context only. The ticker list can shift over time, so if a symbol doesn't resolve in the search bar, confirm the current spelling in the platform.
How to Chart Market Internals in Tradovate: Step by Step
Turn On the Market-Internals Data Feed
Internals ride on their own data subscription, so switch that on first. Open Application Settings, go to the Subscriptions tab, find the Market Data section, and subscribe to the indices feed that carries the internals, Tradovate groups these under a Dow Jones & Key Indices package. Data pricing varies by account type and firm, so check what your plan covers first.
Open a Chart Module
Back in your workspace, click the + (New) button in the top-left and drop a Chart module where you want it. Already have a chart open? Just add a new tab inside it instead of opening a whole new module.
Load an Internals Symbol
Click into the chart's search bar and type the internal you want, start with ^TICK. Pick it from the results and the chart redraws as a running TICK line. TICK works best on a short interval, like a 1-minute chart, since the whole point is watching it swing in real time.
Chart TVOL, UVOL, and DVOL
Run the same search for ^TVOL, ^UVOL, and ^DVOL, each in its own chart or tab, using line style. Tradovate charts each internal on its own, there's no built-in symbol that subtracts DVOL from UVOL into a single net-volume line, so put UVOL and DVOL next to each other and watch the gap between them widen or flip as the session runs.
Quick Symbol Reference
| Symbol | What it shows | How you'd read it |
|---|---|---|
| ^TICK | NYSE upticks minus downticks, live | Spikes past +/-800 to +/-1000 flag breadth extremes and stretched moves |
| ^TVOL | Total exchange volume for the session | Confirms whether real participation backs the move |
| ^UVOL | Advancing (up) volume | Rising far above DVOL = buyers in control |
| ^DVOL | Declining (down) volume | Rising far above UVOL = sellers in control |
Tradovate carries a few more internals in the same feed, an Arms Index (TRIN) and advancing/declining issue counts among them, though availability differs across web, desktop, and mobile. If you rely on a specific one, confirm it loads on the app you trade from.
Why You'd Bother with Internals
- Confirm an ES or NQ breakout with broad-market breadth instead of trusting price alone.
- Spot exhaustion, a TICK spike into an extreme while price stalls often marks a turn.
- Judge conviction: a rally on thin UVOL is a different trade than one on heavy UVOL.
- Filter out chop on days when breadth keeps flipping and there's no real edge.
Automate This with PickMyTrade
Internals sharpen your read, but you still have to act before the move gets away. PickMyTrade wires your TradingView alerts straight into your Tradovate account, so once your breadth-confirmed setup triggers, the order fires automatically, no scramble to click. You keep watching the tape; the execution takes care of itself.
Let the Execution Take Care of Itself
PickMyTrade wires your TradingView alerts straight into your Tradovate account, so once your breadth-confirmed setup triggers, the order fires automatically.
Start Your Free 5-Day TrialFrequently Asked Questions
Yes. Internals come from an indices data feed you turn on under Application Settings > Subscriptions > Market Data, they're separate from your futures quotes. Costs vary by account type and firm, so confirm what your current plan includes before subscribing.
A short one. TICK is a real-time breadth gauge, so a 1-minute chart (or a tick/second chart) keeps up with its swings. Longer intervals smooth out exactly the spikes you're watching for.
Not as a single built-in symbol. Tradovate charts UVOL and DVOL individually, so put them side by side and read the spread between them rather than expecting one combined net-volume line. Availability also differs across web, desktop, and mobile, so confirm a symbol loads on the app you trade from.
This guide is for educational and informational purposes only and is not financial, investment, or trading advice. Trading futures and other leveraged products carries a substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for every investor. PickMyTrade is an independent third-party automation platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Tradovate, Inc. "Tradovate" and all related names, logos, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Platform features and steps change over time, so always confirm the current process in the official Tradovate platform and documentation before acting.