Can anyone explain why closing bid prices & mid vary so much against each other depending on where you look!

e.g. GSK Friday - streaming bid price closed @ 12.37

With after market closing dealing the MID(?) price ended up @ 12.05 and this also was the mid (?) price quoted in the newspapers over the weekend. This also seem to be the opening mid(?) price everywhere this morning.

So what is the real closing bid price? The closing mid(?) price or closing bid price?

You should never look at the mid prices excepting on basic historical charts. Always look at the bid and ask as they are what you deal at. Sets determins the prices where relevant but otherwise it is the best broker touch prices

I have a fund that I look after for an investment club and the idividual shares are valued at the closing bid price to establish a unit price for the members to purchase or sell units in the fund. Therefore it is important that I use the correct figure to revalue each holding.

This never used to be a major problem, but lately I have found the closing bid price higher than the mid or following day opening price. I am also starting to find the bid price quoted a hour after closing then becomes the mid price.

Do I just ignore this and just use the lowest price quoted?

I have access to the official closing prices and always value on the bid - I totally agree with you there.

I do note MAM and others show strange prices on occasions and suggest you take the last real bid shown before close and probably lowest bid for your purposes

Little woman. If it is a SETS stock then you may find some variance. For example, in the auction on close on Friday, DEB was sold down to 382p(therfore closing mid price) yet the bid and offer were still around 399p(thge last price before auction.. The vagaries of the auction system on SETS for you.

It used to be so much easier..............