How to Read Stock Quotes
Use a financial web service., Look it up in a newspaper., Check the ticker.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Use a financial web service.
There are free and paid websites that will allow you to look at stock quotes.
Google, MSN, Yahoo!, and many more offer free stock tracking services.
Web services will often provide much more detailed information and graphs that aren’t provided by newspaper listings. -
Step 2: Look it up in a newspaper.
In order to find your stock in a newspaper, you will need to know the stock symbol.
This is a collection of letters that serve as shorthand for the company name.
It may be similar to the name, but oftentimes the letters don’t correlate.
Some publications may list the company name along with the symbol.
You can find the symbol for any publicly traded company by searching for it on a variety of financial websites.
Company websites often list their stock symbol on the website. , Most financial TV programs and channels will have a stock ticker running along the bottom.
These provide a brief glimpse at the stock, and usually do not have as much information as either a newspaper or a website. -
Step 3: Check the ticker.
Detailed Guide
There are free and paid websites that will allow you to look at stock quotes.
Google, MSN, Yahoo!, and many more offer free stock tracking services.
Web services will often provide much more detailed information and graphs that aren’t provided by newspaper listings.
In order to find your stock in a newspaper, you will need to know the stock symbol.
This is a collection of letters that serve as shorthand for the company name.
It may be similar to the name, but oftentimes the letters don’t correlate.
Some publications may list the company name along with the symbol.
You can find the symbol for any publicly traded company by searching for it on a variety of financial websites.
Company websites often list their stock symbol on the website. , Most financial TV programs and channels will have a stock ticker running along the bottom.
These provide a brief glimpse at the stock, and usually do not have as much information as either a newspaper or a website.
About the Author
Zachary Perez
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow organization tutorials.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: