DDE (eSignal)

[BBands]

I have a Python ap that needs current stock prices, which I want to get
from eSignal's DDE server. Following the win32all example:

import win32ui
import dde
server = dde.CreateServer()
server.Create("eSignalDDE")
conversation = dde.CreateConversation(server)
conversation.ConnectTo("WINROS", "Last")
last = conversation.Request("$spx")
print last

Which almost works. The return in PythonWin is the correct price as a
string with some extra chartacters appended.

'1402.670000000000\x00\x12\x00*\x00\x00\x004\xfb\x12\x00\xfd\x1a\xd9w4\xc1\x00'

Any thoughts on this?

TIA,

    jab