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                                  EXHIBIT 10(a)

                              TERMINATION AGREEMENT


This Termination Agreement (the "Termination Agreement") is entered into and
made this 28th day of May, 1999, by and between Townsend Analytics, Ltd., an
Illinois corporation, having a principal place business at 100 South Wacker
Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606 ("Townsend") and PC Quote, Inc., a Delaware
corporation, its successors and assigns, whose principal office is located at
300 S. Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606 ("PCQ").

                               WITNESSETH:

WHEREAS, Townsend and PCQ entered into a Software Distributor Agreement
("Distributor Agreement") and an Addendum to Distributor Agreement ("Addendum"),
both dated December 4, 1995, copies of which are attached hereto as Exhibit 1;

WHEREAS, Townsend and PCQ desire to terminate the Distributor Agreement and
Addendum except for certain surviving clauses contained therein, and to provide
for the satisfaction of all amounts presently owed by PCQ to Townsend in
connection with PCQ's obligations under the Distributor Agreement and Addendum;

NOW, THEREFORE, Townsend and PCQ agree as follows:

1.   SATISFACTION OF AMOUNTS OWED BY PCQ TO TOWNSEND. Upon execution of this
     Agreement, PCQ agrees to pay all royalties, as determined by Townsend,
     which are owed to Townsend pursuant to the Distribution Agreement and
     Addendum, for the months of April, 1999 and May, 1999. In addition, within
     ninety (90) days of execution of this Agreement, PCQ agrees to pay to
     Townsend the amount of one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) in settlement of
     any disputes related to past dealings between TAL and PCQ, except that said
     amount does not include any amounts which PCQ will owe to Townsend as a
     result of future claim(s) made by Townsend pursuant to Paragraph 9(b),
     Indemnification, of the Distributor Agreement.

2.   SURVIVING CLAUSES OF THE DISTRIBUTOR AGREEMENT. The following paragraphs of
     the Distributor Agreement shall survive termination of said Agreement and
     shall be fully enforceable, except as otherwise provided below:

     a. The following sentence contained in Paragraph 4(b), TERMINATION, shall
     survive termination of the Distributor Agreement: "Termination does not
     relieve distributor for obligations already incurred ongoing [sic] lease
     terms." The remainder of Paragraph 4(b) shall not survive termination of
     the Distributor Agreement.

     b. Paragraphs 6, WARRANTIES;

     c. Paragraph 7, DISTRIBUTOR STANDARDS OF OPERATIONS, except that subsection
     7(a) shall not survive termination;


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     d. Paragraph 8, CONFIDENTIALITY OF TRADE SECRETS; and

     e. Paragraph 9, MISCELLANEOUS.

3.   SURVIVING CLAUSES OF THE ADDENDUM. No clauses of the Addendum shall survive
     termination of the Addendum.

4.   WAIVER OF TERMINATION PROVISIONS OF DISTRIBUTOR AGREEMENT. Townsend and PCQ
     agree that this Termination Agreement shall serve to terminate the
     Distributor Agreement and the Addendum and to set forth the agreed upon
     terms of the termination. To effectuate this termination, Townsend and PCQ
     agree to waive the termination provisions set forth in their entirety in
     Paragraph 4, Termination, of the Distributor Agreement, except as provided
     in Paragraph 2(a) above.

5.   INDEMNIFICATION CLAIMS. PCQ hereby represents and warrants that as of the
     execution of this Agreement, it has no knowledge of any indemnification
     claims, pending or otherwise. PCQ agrees to immediately notify TAL in
     writing of any indemnification claims which may arise subsequent to
     execution of this Agreement.

6.   MISCELLANEOUS.

     (a) NON-WAIVER. No failure to exercise, and no delay in exercising, on
         the part of either party hereto, of any right, power or privilege
         hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single
         or partial exercise by either party of any right, power or
         privilege hereunder preclude any other or further exercise thereof.

     (b) ENTIRE AGREEMENT. This Agreement is intended to be the entire
         agreement of the parties and supercedes all other written and oral
         agreements pertaining to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement
         may not be modified except by a writing signed by a duly authorized
         officer of Townsend and PCQ.

     (c) GOVERNING LAW. The validity, construction, and enforceability of
         this Agreement shall be governed in all respects by the law of the
         state of Illinois.

     (d) SEVERABILITY. If any provision of this Agreement shall be held
         invalid under applicable law, the remaining provisions shall remain
         in full force and effect.

AGREED TO:

Townsend Analytics, Ltd.                   PC Quote, Inc.

BY:                                        BY:
   -----------------------------               -----------------------------
MarrGwen Townsend, Vice-President          Jim Porter, President

Date:  May 28, 1999


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