Stock market news is all around us everyday in different forms. It's on TV, it's on ticker tapes in front of financial buildings, it's in the newspaper in the form of stock tables and it's on the internet. So how do you make sense of the all the financial data coming from these resources? Learning how to read the stock market is an essential requirement for becoming a successful investor.Here are the basics you need to know.
How to Read the Stock Market Tables
Open any newspaper to the financial section and you'll see a table full of numbers, arrows and letters. This is usually a stock table and it encapsulates the stock market's performance for that day as well as gives you past data for comparative analysis.
Although every paper's stock tables might be slightly different, in general, they all contain the same basic info. Here's how to read the stock market table:
52 week high: This figure gives you the highest price for a particular share in the last 52 weeks. It's crucial to be able to determine the performance of a stock over time and analyze trends.
52 week low: This figure will give you the lowest price for a share in the last 52 weeks (nearly a year). It's also crucial for evaluating trends and performance. When combined with the 52-week high figure, it should5 give you an accurate assessment of the stock's yearly performance.
Name/Symbol: This column contains both the company name and its stock symbol. A stock symbol is usually a 3-letter symbol used to identify the company in the stock market. You need to know the stock symbol of any companies you invest in so you can track their performance over time and also when you use the internet to find stock quotes. Companies often pick memorable ticker symbols, so for example, Genentech, a biotechnology firm, has the stock symbol DNA.
Dividend: The amount paid on an annual basis by a company as profit to its shareholders.
Volume: The number of shares traded today for a particular stock.
Yield: Yield is a percentage calculated as dividend divided by stock price; the yield of a particular stock may change on a daily basis depending on its stock price for that day.
P/E Ratio: This ratio is simply the price of stock divided by the company's earnings per share. In general a lower P/E ratio is desirable because it would mean that the company is a good value investment for the current price.
Net Change: The net change measures the differential in the stock price between its current price and the price the day before, and reports the change as a percentage.
How to Read the Stock Market Ticker Tape
The stock market ticker tape runs on TV channels, as well as outside financial buildings and the Internet. It's usually a quick glance at how various stocks are performing on the current day. It denotes stocks by their symbol, which can be anywhere from one to four letters. Some companies abbreviate their business name, so Google's symbol is GOOG, while other companies use their entire name, such as NIKE.
The ticker generally also shows either a green arrow, indicating increase in stock price, or a red arrow indicating a decrease in stock price followed by a percentage figure denoting the amount of change in stock price for the day's trading.
Both stock tables and stock tickers are helpful for an investor to monitor and track stock performance. Knowing how to read the stock market is crucial for any investor because stock investing is all about making and then monitoring your investment so you can tweak your stock portfolio to optimal market conditions.
Best Online Stock Trading Platforms Reviewed
When it comes to choosing the best online stock trading platforms that are available to investors today, it is best to research the trading platforms that are well-known and reputable. An investor should never take a chance with some stock trading platform that nobody has ever heard of. There are enough risks in trading stocks and there is no need to make things any more difficult than need be. When comparing stock trading platforms it is often helpful for a stock investor to make a list of things that are important to them as a stock market trader. (i.e. cost of trades, stock research tools, ability to mobile trade, initial deposit required, etc...)
Popular Stock Trading Platforms & Services
Benefits offered by best online stock brokers:
- Scottrade - Scottrade has been one of the top investing platforms online for years now and is a good option for most stock market investors. $500 minimum deposit to fund your investing account. No opening or maintenance fees are involved with your Scottrade account. Easy to open an account or transfer a brokerage account from another broker. Online trades are just $7 for stocks that are priced $1 and above regardless of frequency or your account balance. Trade options for just $7 plus $1.25 per contract for market and limit orders. Trade as often as you like without worrying about hidden fees. Easily monitor your investment account, research and trade from any Internet-enabled mobile devices. Research the stock market and get quick stock quotes. Stay up-to-the-minute with complimentary Dow Jones News.
- E-Trade - E-Trade is another big player in the online stock market trading area and has been for over 20 years. Setting up an account on E-Trade takes about 10 minutes and you can trade free for 60 days. Easy, intuitive online investing and 24/7 customer service. $9.99 and less for stock and options trades. Over 8,000 mutual funds and 30,000 bonds available for trading. Innovative investing & trading tools to help investors make better trades. You get free independent research and a huge resource of investing information educational resources. Stocks, options, futures and Forex. Whatever you desire to trade, ETrade has you covered.regardless of account balance or how many shares you buy and zero maintenance fees. Trade free up to 60 days and get up to $600 in your account. Independent, objective investing research from S&P Capital IQ, Morningstar Associates, and ResearchTeam. Easy to use online trading tools. In business over 35 years, TD Ameritrade is a favorite among online investors.
The above online stock brokers are all reputable online businesses and have excellent reviews for thousands of stock traders. It is hard to go wrong by choosing one of best online stock trading platforms available and will make your future investments easier, more profitable, and more manageable than ever before.
A small business account trade may be just what your company needs to displace competition. If your customer base is growing or they are asking increasingly for credit payment options as well as information about your products and services, a merchant account can answer their questions and help grow your business while leaving your competitors in the dust.
It is easy to apply for a merchant account small business. Just find a merchant account provider, you can search on the internet using key terms. Browse the many sites offering this special type of commercial status before choosing one. Conditions and fees vary much, if you want to become familiar with your choices before signing the contract. You can be tempted to take over a company the size of your really need at this stage. Do not be misled by all the bells and whistles that are available. Stick with the basics when you start, and add other options if they are really necessary and when you can afford.
Companies offering small business account trade are typically banks and other financial institutions. Generally they seek the story of a good business credit, the ability to make payments on the merchant account and the avoidance of questionable business activities such as spam or telemarketing. They are willing to extend credit to small business owners who demonstrate good business ethics, which made good use of resources to date, and have developed a growth plan for reasonable long-term goals. Often, the application can be completed online and submitted electronically, and you may receive a response in a matter of hours. Then you can immediately buy or rent processing equipment as a credit card processor credit, electronic transformers or wireless, as well as control and flow, pagers, and other technical equipment which will enable improve your business in a professional field by higher power efficiency and speed capabilities.
Your small business merchant account will help you set up a website to promote your business at international level. Customers around the world can browse the site any time of day or night and shop without the hassle of finding the store closed or associates unavailable. Treatment option with your convenience credit, they can order a product or service and pay by credit card, facilitated by underwriting bank or financial institution that allows the coordination MasterCard or Visa, then you pay via transfer account. All you have to do after setting up the site and keep it updated via the service staff is to make occasional checks of equipment and remove the income from your merchant account.
A merchant account gives small business owners the freedom to do business as a professional using the same equipment and services to attract and serve customers occupied. Others in your field who do not have a merchant account may lose customers to your business when you go to use technology to save time. Discover the benefits and responsibilities of opening a small business merchant account.
It is easy to apply for a merchant account small business. Just find a merchant account provider, you can search on the internet using key terms. Browse the many sites offering this special type of commercial status before choosing one. Conditions and fees vary much, if you want to become familiar with your choices before signing the contract. You can be tempted to take over a company the size of your really need at this stage. Do not be misled by all the bells and whistles that are available. Stick with the basics when you start, and add other options if they are really necessary and when you can afford.
Companies offering small business account trade are typically banks and other financial institutions. Generally they seek the story of a good business credit, the ability to make payments on the merchant account and the avoidance of questionable business activities such as spam or telemarketing. They are willing to extend credit to small business owners who demonstrate good business ethics, which made good use of resources to date, and have developed a growth plan for reasonable long-term goals. Often, the application can be completed online and submitted electronically, and you may receive a response in a matter of hours. Then you can immediately buy or rent processing equipment as a credit card processor credit, electronic transformers or wireless, as well as control and flow, pagers, and other technical equipment which will enable improve your business in a professional field by higher power efficiency and speed capabilities.
Your small business merchant account will help you set up a website to promote your business at international level. Customers around the world can browse the site any time of day or night and shop without the hassle of finding the store closed or associates unavailable. Treatment option with your convenience credit, they can order a product or service and pay by credit card, facilitated by underwriting bank or financial institution that allows the coordination MasterCard or Visa, then you pay via transfer account. All you have to do after setting up the site and keep it updated via the service staff is to make occasional checks of equipment and remove the income from your merchant account.
A merchant account gives small business owners the freedom to do business as a professional using the same equipment and services to attract and serve customers occupied. Others in your field who do not have a merchant account may lose customers to your business when you go to use technology to save time. Discover the benefits and responsibilities of opening a small business merchant account.
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