Why Prices May Look Different from Your Broker
A high, low or candle doesn't match your broker or another chart? Here's why: adjusted futures data, broker prices, index markets vs futures, and quiet periods.
Seeing a high, low or candle in FX Replay that doesn't match your broker or another chart? That's usually expected. The most common reasons are explained below, with how to check each one.
1. Futures: adjusted vs actual prices
FX Replay shows the actual prices that traded on each date. Nothing is adjusted when a futures contract rolls over to the next one.
Many charting platforms have an optional setting that adjusts past prices at every rollover, so the chart looks like one smooth line. When it's on, every past bar is shifted by the price gap between the old and the new contract. So a past high or low can show at a different price than where it really traded.
Example: if the ES contract rolls with a 10-point gap, an adjusted chart moves every past bar by 10 points. A high that traded at 4,200 might show as 4,190.
How to line them up: on the other platform, look for a setting called back-adjust or adjust for contract changes (sometimes a B-ADJ button) and turn it off. The prices should then match FX Replay.
Both views are valid. Adjusted data helps you see long-term trends without gaps at rollovers. Actual prices show what really traded, which is what FX Replay uses so your backtests are accurate.
2. Forex and CFDs: each broker has its own prices
Forex and CFDs don't trade on one central exchange, so prices can differ slightly from one broker to another. Small differences in a high, low or candle close between two brokers are normal.
FX Replay offers many assets from more than one broker. To compare like with like, check which broker your asset comes from on the Markets page and compare it with the same broker's chart.
3. Index markets and index futures are different instruments
Index markets such as US30, US NAS 100 and UK 100 aren't the same as index futures such as YM, NQ and ES. They follow the same index but trade at different prices, so a US30 chart won't match a YM chart. Make sure you're comparing the same instrument.
4. Flat candles in quiet periods
In very quiet markets, price can barely move for a long stretch, so candles look flat or like a straight line. This is real market data, not a chart problem. It's most common in:
- early-to-mid 2020 (the COVID lockdown period, roughly March to June, depending on the asset)
- the Christmas and New Year holiday weeks
To avoid it, start your session after the quiet period.
Still doesn't match?
If none of these explain it, contact our Support Team and include:
- the asset and the broker shown on the Markets page
- the date, time and timeframe of the candle
- a screenshot of both charts
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is FX Replay's data wrong if it doesn't match my broker?
Usually not. Forex and CFD prices differ slightly between brokers, and futures charts elsewhere are often adjusted at rollovers. FX Replay shows the prices that actually traded.
Why does a past high on a futures chart look different on another platform?
That platform is most likely adjusting past prices at contract rollovers. Turn off its back-adjust (B-ADJ) setting and the levels should match.
Why are the candles flat in 2020?
Many markets were very quiet during the COVID lockdown period, so price barely moved. It's real data. Start your session after June 2020 if you want to skip it.
Why doesn't US30 match YM?
US30 is an index market and YM is an index future. They follow the same index but are different instruments with different prices.
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