How to Write a Stock Market Report

Stock Market IndexesIn order to write a good stock market report, you need to know the key elements and data to include. Always report on bigger-picture stock market indicators like the Dow Jones, S& P 500, and NASDAQ. In addition to these broader indices, you might choose to focus on a particular sector of the economy each day, so Monday you might report on stock market indexes that focus on health, and Tuesday focus on technology.
Key Weekly or Quarterly ReportsReport on key weekly or quarterly reports such as jobless reports and earnings reports, which have an effect on the Stock Market. Give advance notice as to when certain reports are expected to be published.
Key Stocks to WatchInclude a discussion of any major stocks whose dramatic rise, fall or upcoming business deals are affecting or projected to affect the overall stock martet. If the report is daily, include a discussion of the day's opening and closing Dow Jones, NASDAQ and S&P Index.
Get Up to Date InfoYou will need to do a serious amount of work keeping updated on the key elements of the stock market. You will want to include links to live data, where applicable.
TipsDepending on how the economy is doing, you may want to include a 'Tips' section for taking advantage of a particular growing sector, such as healthcare or technology, and explain how that sector's growth and focus might affect the stock market.
Publish OftenIn order to be relevant, you will need to gather data at least daily and publish reports online. Use online reporting tools so you can easily publish the report as a blog or an email newsletter. Make sure whatever format you publish in is accessible for BlackBerry or other mobile device users.

How to Find Stock Symbols

Go to an established, reliable stock Web site, such as nasdaq.com or etrade.com.
Click on 'Symbol Look Up.'
Type in the name of the company you want to research. The results will display the company symbol, the type of stock (common or preferred) and the exchange it trades on. Amazon, for example, trades on the Nasdaq as common stock. Its symbol is AMZN.

How to Make Money Investing in Stock

Open a stock trading brokerage account if you do not already have one. You can do this online, over the phone or by mail.
Know your risk tolerance.
You can make money in the stock market with any level of risk aversion. Knowing your comfort level is going to help you sleep at night when you picks the right stocks for you.
If you don't like risk, stick to the Blue Chips.
If you're up for some risk go for the emerging technology penny stocks.
Set goals.
Having specific goals will help you pick the correct stocks for you. Are you investing for retirement, college, a house, etc?
These goals all have different time lines. You wouldn't pick the same stocks to achieve these different goals.For a long term goal like retirement, think large cap dividend stocks like utilities. And then make sure to enroll them in a DRIP.For shorter term goals like a house, you'll want to focus on more risky growth stocks like the technology sector.
Allocate funds.
Whether it a lump sum or a monthly amount, you need money in your brokerage account. This makes the money available to invest the moment you want it.You can set up an automatic electronic transfer if you're going to invest the same amount every month.
Diversify.
Protect yourself from losing your entire investment by diversifying. This is like buying insurance within the stock market. To truly diversify you'll want to invest in at least 5 different industries or sectors.Auto, retail, food, health care, banks, technology, utilities are all examples of different sectors.
Have an exit strategy-- you don't actually make money unless you sell above what you paid.
Knowing when to get out is the most important step to making money in the stock market.
Whether your exit strategy is based on time, like for retirement or college, or based on profit-- like having enough for a house mortgage down payment -- you need a plan.
Take the money and run.
Once you've achieved your goals, take the money and use it for your lifestyle.

How to Track Institutional Stock Trades (5 Steps)

Select a stock you want to pursue and search for it in the stock quote window of almost any search engine or to any brokerage firm website. Enter the stock symbol and when the quote appears, look for and click the 'research' tab. Some sites, like Yahoo Finance, will display the research options automatically on the same page.
Click on 'ownership' or 'holdings.' Under this tab, you'll see the various entities that own the stock. There will be several choices such as 'Insiders' and a few others. One of the headings will be 'Institutions' or 'Institutional.' Here you will find a list of Institutions that own the stock. You'll see how many shares they own and what percentage they hold of the shares outstanding.
Check to see if you're in good company. What are some of the institutions and are they institutions whose judgment you trust? If what you see piques your interest, then take it a step further.
Track institutional activity in the stock. Since institutions don't typically broadcast their trades so as not to tip their hands to the competition, tracking real-time institutional trades is difficult; however, if you check back a couple of times a day, you'll see trades not long after they've taken place. If there's a change, note if it's an increase or decrease in the institution's holdings. Especially important are any instances of institutions selling all their stock, or a new institution investing in it.
Use the information wisely. If after a few weeks or months you notice institutions are increasing their holdings, you know interest is up on the stock. If the number of shares is dropping from institutions, then momentum is slowing and you should try to find out why before investing. Here's hoping you make a bundle!

How to Make Money by Jobbing in the Stock Market

Open a brokerage account that lets you buy and sell stocks and bonds. You can opt to work through a traditional brokerage account, where a broker provides personalized service and advice. The fees for a traditional account often make them prohibitive for the frequent buy-and-sell pattern of stock jobbing. Online brokerage accounts, which provide minimal personalized service and advice, provide the advantage of much lower fees for trading, which lends itself to jobbing.
Understand how a stock chart tracks the past performance of a stock in terms of price. Stock charts typically include graphs that show price movement as jagged lines that cover days, weeks or months of past trading. Some charts represent price movements as vertical bars, called candlesticks, that show the top and bottom prices for a given day.
Understand the support and resistance levels of stocks. Some stocks will persistently fall to a particular price, rise to a particular price and then fall back to the original price. These are the support and resistance levels. The support level, at which the price bottoms out, represents the point at which demand picks up and investors begin to buy. The resistance level, at which the price peaks, represents the point at which demand falls off and investors begin to sell the stock.
Choose an appropriate stock to purchase. Stock selection for jobbing requires you to research the market. The right stocks exhibit ongoing price fluctuations but with relatively predictable support and resistance levels. After you find a stock that shows volatility, but within predictable limits, you wait for the stock to reach its support level and then purchase shares. After the stock reaches its resistance level, you sell the stock shares and pocket the difference. To make stock jobbing profitable, you need to select stocks that demonstrate a large enough difference between support and resistance levels that, when you sell, you make enough to pay the fees and taxes but still make a profit.
Pay your taxes. You are responsible for paying short-term capital gains taxes at your current tax rate for profits on stock jobbing. The Internal Revenue Service may require you to pay estimated tax payments on jobbing profits. Consult with your accountant to determine if or when you need to make payments.

How to Get Started in the Stock Market

Start by doing some basic research into the stock market. Answer long standing questions you may have such as; what is the stock market, or how do you make money in the stock market. You should be working with a solid foundation of knowledge before you attempt to dabble in the market.
Read a financial newspaper such as the 'New York Times' stock section or the 'Wall Street Journal' to learn more about what is happening currently in the market. Stay updated on financial news every day.
Pick five stocks to follow and analyze their trends over the past four or five years. Utilize the Internet as a research to help you track their progress. Create a flow chart with information regarding those particular companies net inflow and outflow and try and distinguish trends amongst the various fluctuations in income production.
Play a virtual stock market game on the computer. Check into various online stock market games as they are a great primer to playing the actual market. Engage in the virtual market for a while before starting on an actual investment opportunities.
Decide what you want to invest in the market for; perhaps you are saving for your future, a house, a new car, or to amass a larger net worth. Determine your risk tolerance and how much fluctuation you can handle without getting nervous to pick on an adequate stock. For beginning investors, mutual funds are usually the safest and least anxiety provoking.
Figure out where you will get the funds to invest in the market and set aside anywhere from $500 at first to buy a few shares of the stock you've chosen. Find a reputable stock broker to help you buy and sell your shares of stocks. With your new knowledge, you might not need a full service broker but for beginners it is often recommended.

How to Calculate Stock Gain

Compute the cost basis for the stock trade. Cost basis consists of the original (purchase) price of the stock plus all fees and commissions paid for the purchase and sale of the stock. For example, if you bought 100 shares of a stock at $10/share ($1,000) and paid fees of $10 when you bought the stock and $12 to sell it, your cost basis is $1,000 plus $10 plus $12 for a total of $1,022.
Calculate the total proceeds. Your total proceeds include the money received from selling the stock plus the cash value of dividends received while you owned the shares. For instance, if you sold the 100 shares from Step 1 for $15/share ($1,500) and received a total of $50 in dividend income during the time you held the shares, your total proceeds are $1,500 plus $50, or $1,550.
Calculate stock gain or loss. Subtract the cost basis from total proceeds. If your cost basis is $1,022 (Step 1) and total proceeds are $1,550 (Step 2) your stock gain is $1,550 minus $1,022, which equals $528. If you get a negative number (meaning the cost basis is greater than total proceeds) you had a loss rather than a gain.
Figure your percentage gain or loss. It’s usually most useful to compare percentage gain or loss to see how well different investments have done. To convert stock gain into percentage stock gain, divide the stock gain by the cost basis and multiply by 100. In the example above, you would divide $528 (stock gain) by $1,022 (cost basis) and multiply the result by 100 to get a percentage stock gain of 51.7 percent.

How to Invest in the Indian Stock Market

Register with a stockbroker or investment firm with ties to the Indian stock market. The defining factor when hiring financial assistance is experience with the market in which you invest your money. Stockbrokers can be costly, but they tend to respond quickly to queries about individual stocks.
Examine the BSE 200 index to determine the strength of your investments in India. This index covers the 200 best-performing businesses in India on a daily basis. Look at individual businesses in your favored industrial sector to assess the wisdom of potential investments.
Go out on a limb with a technology stock through the BSE TECk index. The Indian economy features a rapidly expanding biotechnology and computer-development sector that has been a boon to investors. Past success should be taken with a grain of salt, however, because similar growth in the United States in the 1990s resulted in lost profits for investors.
Locate growing companies with small amounts of capital through the BSE Small-Cap Index. This index features hundreds of young companies with low funding that are looking for investors to take them to the next level. You can invest in a company at a cheap share price without a great deal of risk.
Track the progress of your stocks online with the Bombay Stock Exchange's commitment to quick updates. The BSE index transmits information to local brokers, international websites and business-television networks every 15 seconds.
Spend your investment dollars wisely as you invest in the Bankex index. This index tracks the progress of India's top 12 banks and allows you to make an investment in their growth.

How to Find Good Stock Investment Ideas

Check out the following websites: Yahoo Finance, MSN Money and Stockpickr. All of these sites have some great information for stock investment ideas. On Yahoo Finance, take a look under the Investment tab and 'Education;' On MSN Money, go to the Investing tab then 'Stock Research' on the left hand column. Also, MSN Money publishes what they call 'Expert Picks.' This is basically a handful of investing experts who make recommendations for stocks and publish them free of charge. These expert picks can sometimes be very useful and lead to good investments, however I would not base your whole portfolio around them.
Go to www.MotleyFool.com. This website has probably some of the best information for independent investors. The website is a massive community of expert and amateur investors looking to share their own knowledge and make sound stock picks. When looking up stocks on this site, you not only get basic information about the company, but you can also see who is recommending the stock and if they are Bullish or Bearish on it. There is also something called CAPS, which is a rating system for specific stocks. If the stock has 5 stars, then it may be a golden investment opportunity. You can also see a list all of the stocks on the website that have gained the golden-clad 5 star rating.
If your really serious about making some money and finding profitable stocks, you can purchase MotleyFool.com's 'Premium Services.' A team of expert investment advisers will publish stock recommendations and sell them for a moderate price. According to the website, these stock recommendations have earned investors very high returns year after year. The site's most popular service is the Stock Advisor. It's a $199 per year newsletter that is currently earning investors around a 41% yearly return...Not Bad.
Also consider buying paid research services from websites such as Zacks.com. They publish expert picks on stocks they think will rise in the market. Be very careful when looking at these websites, though. Some sites say they are selling stock picks, but will often make exaggerated claims on how much money you could make. Sometimes these stocks are very speculative and risky (i.e. penny stocks).
Watch investing shows on MSNBC and CNBC such as Mad Money with Jim Cramer. Some people criticize these shows for the lack of accuracy of their stock picks. However for a new investor, these can give some good ideas for stock investments. From there, you can do some of your own research.
Look for booming industries or companies. A simple way to get great stocks ideas, is to look for the companies or industries that are up-and-coming or making huge trends in the market. If you think an industry sector is going to shoot up over the next few years (i.e. Alternative Energy sector), then buy some stock for companies in that industry (i.e. buy solar energy stocks!). Also, look at the fundamentals of a company. If you think a company is going to be profitable and have a good balance sheet, then consider buying their stock. A good example of this is Apple; excellent products combined with good company leadership and earnings lead this company's stock to almost $200/share in 2008.

How to Open a Stock Trading Account (3 Steps)

Set aside funds for trading. You have to fund an account at a brokerage in order to purchase stocks, so it is important to decide how much cash you have available for trading.
Consider the services you need and the costs involved. Brokerage firms fall into three general categories. Online brokers specialize in providing web-based trading tools with a minimum of personal interaction between a client and a broker, and are the least expensive means of trading stocks. Full service firms establish a client-broker relationship, providing someone you can contact for advice or to initiate trades; most full-service firms also provide online trading. Broker-mediated trades at a full service firm charge a commission based on the size of the trade. Discount brokerages also offer personal service, but generally charge smaller fees than a full service broker. It pays to do your homework. Sites such as Motley Fool and Yahoo! Finance offer extensive guidance on considerations for choosing a broker, comparing the dozens of brokerage firms in each major category.
Apply for an account at your selected broker. You can apply online at most firms by clicking 'Open an account,' 'Apply for an account' or a similarly worded link on the company's web page. You have to provide your name and identification information along with your Social Security number and details of your bank accounts. You also need to fund a new account electronically or by sending a check in order to begin trading.

How to Calculate Paper Stock Consistency

Dry the filter paper in the drying oven for one hour and then record the weight.
Obtain a sample of the pulp slurry. Shake the sample well. If it is expected that the consistency will be 1 percent or less, pour 500 milliliters from the sample container into the graduated cylinder. If it is expected that the consistency will be between 1 and 4 percent, pour 250 milliliters from the sample container into the graduated cylinder.
Place the weighed filter paper into the Buchner funnel and wet with distilled water. Apply suction to the funnel. Pour the pulp slurry sample through the filter paper and allow all water to drain from the resulting pad.
Remove the filter paper from the Buchner funnel, taking care to retain all pulp fibers. Place the filter paper in the drying oven and dry until a constant weight is obtained. Weigh the sample, and determine the weight of pulp fibers by subtracting the weight of the filter paper from the total sample weight.
Calculate the consistency using the formula Consistency (in percent) equals the fiber weight (in grams) divided by the sample volume used (in milliliters) times 100.

How to Start a Stock Trading Business and Claim Tax Deductions

Incorporate yourself as an official stock trading entity. In most states, this can be accomplished online through your state's Secretary of State website (see Resources). The process is quick and costs less than a hundred dollars in most areas. Creating an LLC is the easiest and least expensive option for most states.
Open a brokerage account in the name of your LLC. This is a critical distinction when claiming business tax deductions for stock trading. The IRS is more likely to accept your trading as a full-time operation if all the stock trades are transacted under an LLC account.
Transfer all funds to and from your brokerage account from a bank account registered by your LLC.
Pay for all services related to stock trading with your LLC's bank account. Never use the account for personal finances or living expenses.



Deduct your Internet service fees, as they are the lifeblood of most trading businesses. Without the Internet, you are not in business.
Deduct educational materials and books related to your trading strategies, as they are specific expenses incurred for the development of your business.
Report all income from capital gains on Schedule D, just as investors do.
Deduct the margin interest for your brokerage account on Schedule C with all of your other expenses.
Deduct home office expenses, including desks, computers, multiple computer monitors (if applicable) and other technology required for your work. These deductions only apply to full-time traders. Part-time investors do not qualify.

How to Invest in the Danish Stock Market (7 Steps)

Research American brokerages that are members of the Copenhagen Exchange. Several dozen brokerages in the United States have been long-term members of the Danish stock market. These brokers have presence on the stock market floor, allowing you to move your investments quickly.
Attach conditions when you invest money in the Danish stock market. The Copenhagen Exchange allows you to establish a maximum price for purchasing shares, a minimum share for selling shares and a preordained time for transactions. These conditions are ideal on the SAXESS trading system because of delays for overseas investors.
Post collateral with your broker or bank when you are trading futures and options on the Copenhagen Exchange. The rules of the Exchange require investors to provide stocks, money or property to protect the bank from speculative ventures like derivatives.
Read through the customer agreement that your broker provides to you for Danish stock trades. While the market in Copenhagen follows international trade rules, foreign investors must follow specific banking and commerce rules in Denmark.
Magnify the power of your Danish portfolio by using the Nordic Exchange through OMX. This exchange connects investors through Copenhagen to markets in Scandinavian and Baltic countries in an instant.
Increase the security of your overseas portfolio by purchasing Danish government bonds. These bonds guarantee a return from the issuing bodies, which include Danish cities, the federal government and major corporations looking for financial backing.
Take advantage of the burgeoning Northern European technology market through the KVX index in Copenhagen. This index includes dozens of medical technology, software and other high-tech ventures that have demonstrated strong growth over the last few years. Utilize the KVX and other indexes only after you have developed an understanding of the Copenhagen Exchange.

How to Read a Streaming Stock Quote (5 Steps)

Find the stock symbols of the company or companies you want to follow through any of the following websites: MSN money central, investors.com, finance.yahoo.com or market watch. Look for the 'Symbol Lookup' field and type in the company you are looking for. The symbol will be one to four capital letters long. It is the first piece of information given for each company in its streaming quote.
Read the stock numbers. The stock numbers will follow the stock symbols. The number is abbreviated with the letter 'K' standing for 1,000, 'M' standing for 1,000,000 and 'B' standing for 1,000,000,000. If you see 30K, this means that 30,000 shares of stock have been traded for that company.
Read the prices traded. This is the second piece of information behind your stock symbol, it shows the bid price, or what each share is going for at the current time. This number is given as a whole number and decimal. 186.50 means $186.50
Note the change of direction. The third thing to look at after your symbol is the direction change. This will tell you whether the stock has gone up or down since the previous day's trading. This symbol is an arrow head that is either pointing up or down. There are some tickers in the media that will use a plus or minus sign instead of an arrow head. You will also be able to tell this information by the color code given. A green color means up, and red means down. So a green arrow or plus sign means the stock's price has increased.
Read the amount that the stock price has changed. This is a number that indicates the specific change in price and is the final piece of information to read. Often, it will be green if it is an increase and red if it is a decrease. The color code system helps you to instantly visualize whether your stock has gone up or down. This number will be given as a percentage, 2.64%, of the previous trading price.

How to Make a Stock Pond

Decide where you will locate the pond. It needs to be within easy access of any animals that will be drinking from the stock pond. Lay out the measurements visibly so that you can step back and see how it will look.
Study the building specifications in your area for creating a stock pond. Make certain you do not need a permit from the city or county to begin the construction. Obtain one through the proper channels if you do.
Dig down to a depth of 6 to 12 feet to create the stock pond. A front loader or backhoe is the most appropriate machine for this job.
Line your stock pond with a heavy clay soil. See if water stands for several days after a heavy rain in other areas of your land. If this is the case, simply dig the pond deep enough and prepare the bottom with heavy clay earth to encourage the growth of cattails and other pond-loving plants, such as water lilies.
Allow the pond to fill naturally with the next heavy rain. This insures the pond water is free from chlorine. You will appreciate this fact when you begin fishing.
Add fish and frog eggs according to the size of your stock pond. If you will be using the pond for fishing, you need to consider what you will want to catch and what adapts well to your area. These eggs are available from your local hatchery. This is where the entertainment aspect begins. Soon you will be able to fish in your stock pond any time you want.
Look through Internet searches to see about supplies for your pond and to find local shops. Just type in 'stock pond supplies' as a keyword search. Remember to look for supplies that encourage the health and continuing enjoyment of your fishing habit.

How to Buy One Share of Stock

Look for an online brokerage firm that does not require a high minimum balance, and keeps the fees manageable. An investment is an investment, so the number of shares does not really matter. Some firms are no cost, so keep an eye out for these companies.
Once you have located the brokerage firm or specialty service you plan to use, determine the company you want to invest in based on the budget you have for the purchase. Online brokers will be the cheaper option as they will only charge a per trade fee (varies on the firm you use) based on the number of shares you purchase at once, not per share. Because you are only buying one share you face cost of share plus trade fee. A $25 share could be anyway from $32 to $45 depending on the trade fee.
Online brokers will mandate different requirements for opening an account and maintaining the account. Open the account with the firm that best suits your needs, your situation, and your goals as a beginning investor. Fill in any required forms to ensure the accurate and complete purchase of the stock.



Understand that a specialty service will allow the purchase of one stock in the same sense of investment amount, and income return. However, because these are meant to decorate and commemorate the stock or the ownership as a gift, keepsake, or collectible, they are not recommended for the investor just getting a start.
Specialty services will charge for the special certificates, the frame, an optional engraving and other items. along with a transfer fee that will range anywhere from $35 to $45. Add in shipping and handling charges, and a $25 share quickly becomes $75 or more depending on the frame you choose.
Keep in mind that specialty services will ask you for the stock ownership information, and other information necessary to process, ship and bill you for your order.

How to Join the Stock Market

Determine how much you're willing to invest. Find a balance between what you might be willing to lose and how much you would potentially like to make. Consider that with diversification and the 10 percent average growth per year, in the long run you'll come out ahead.
Educate yourself on the market to decide on companies to invest in. It's better to stay in the stock market for a long term rather than simply for short-term profits. Pick large, stable, growing companies to start. Keep an eye on the big picture and look at the long-term growth patterns of these companies. Consider investing in big companies in several sectors. The more diversification in a portfolio, the safer it is.
Find a broker that fits your needs. This can be either an investment broker, which helps you make decisions, or a discount broker, which offers no advice but has a less expensive price. Ensure that the amount you have to invest meets the minimum required by the broker.
Keep an eye on your investments. Be smart about them, however. Don't simply be a trader; be an investor. While in the short run stock numbers can go down, in the long run they most likely will grow.

How to Invest in the Japanese Stock Market (6 Steps)

Get familiar with the three major indexes used to track developments in the Tokyo Stock Exchange. These are, first, the Nikkei 225 index of major companies as chosen by Japan's most popular business paper, the 'Nihon Keizai Shimbun.' The second is the TOPIX index, and the J30 index is also commonly used to track Japanese big business.
Open a trading account with a large, well-known brokerage. To invest in the Japanese stock market, your order will have to be routed to a licensed member of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Larger brokerages have the best and most reliable access to TSE members.
Deposit capital into your new trading account, keeping in mind that it is unwise to place all your eggs in one basket. Make sure you have a contingency fund in place to cover your back in the event you lose your shirt in the Japanese stock market.
Work with your financial adviser to identify Japanese companies that you want to invest in. If you prefer to do your own digging, a good place to get started is on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's official English-language website (see Resources below).
Research Japanese companies using the same methods you would use to research domestic companies. If you have no experience researching stocks, pick up a comprehensive introductory guide to stock investing from your local bookstore and spend some time reading before you head into the real world. Keep in mind that it may be difficult or costly to obtain copies of Japanese companies' financial statements.
Place an order to buy the Japanese stock of your choice with your brokerage. Your stockbroker will then forward your request to a Tokyo Stock Exchange member for filling. The time delay involved may mean that the actual price of the stock could differ from your quote by the time your order is actually processed.

How to Become a Stock Promoter

Study the SEC and FINRA rules and regulations. A stock promoter's top priority is to comply with these requirements. You don't actually need any certifications or licenses to promote your stock-picking talent and work as a stock promoter, but if you fail to maintain perfect compliance, you not only risk legal action against you and your employees, but against your client companies, their stocks and their shareholders, as well. Your client company will be held at least partially responsible for your misdeeds, and may risk being ejected from the exchange where it is trading. In addition, the market will drive the stock price down.
Find a good attorney who specializes in securities law. You will need contracts covering your services to client companies; legal disclosures for your website, newsletters and other promotional materials; legal disclaimers and some tutoring regarding what to expect and what not to do.
Develop your investor contact database by purchasing mailing lists of investors and writing and promoting a stock-picking newsletter. You can't sell stock to your readers, but their purchases will make the stock price rise. The value of a stock promoter lies in his ability to promote a client company's stock to large numbers of investors and stockbrokers, who trust the promoter enough to buy positions in most -- if not all -- that promoter's recommended stocks. Your database should contain at least a few hundred thousand names.
Develop your following by demonstrating your skill at picking high-flying stocks through your newsletter and special subscribers to your stock-picking premium service. Developing a following can be accomplished via Internet and social media marketing.
Research public companies to find those that appear to have under-priced stock. Generally, company management is anxious to publicize the value of the company, partially because their stockholders will stop complaining that the stock is not appreciating in value. These companies are your potential clients.
Tell prospective client companies how many investors and stockbrokers follow your recommendations, how careful you are about compliance issues and how high you expect their stock to trade based on your recommendations. If you live up to your promises, your client company will be happy, and you will find it easy to get more companies to hire your services.
Join the National Investor Relations Institute and the National Investment Banking Association, and attend as many of their educational programs and conventions as you can. Network in your local venture capital community to develop potential company clients and deep-pocketed investors for your database.

How to Convert Class 'A' Restricted UPS Stock to Class 'B' Unrestricted Stock?

Find a copy of your latest statement. You may need to call your broker or the transfer agent, NY Mellon Shareowner Services, to retrieve the document. NY Mellon Shareowner Services' web address is www.bnymellon.com/shareowner. The dedicated toll free number for shareowner services is 888-663-8325.
Give your broker or transfer agent a call. Tell them that you would like to convert your non-negotiable, class 'A' shares to negotiable class 'B' shares. They will typically give you a time frame of four to six weeks for completion of conversion. They should also inform you that with that conversion, your votes per share would be reduced from 10 votes to one vote per share.
After you wait four to six weeks for the process to be completed, you can then sell the shares if you wish. Again, call your broker or the clearing agent to accomplish this.

How to Invest in Microsoft Stock

Open a brokerage account if you do not have one. Alternatively, you can invest 'directly' via Microsoft's transfer agent. Either way, you will need an account which you can use to purchase Microsoft stock from (see Resources below).
Deposit funds in your new account, or if using an existing account, verify that you have sufficient funds to complete your purchase.
Decide how many shares you want purchase, and under what conditions. If you want to buy Microsoft stock today without regard to its current price, you need a market order. If you want to buy only if the price is a certain amount you need a stop or limit order.
Give the order. Whether online, through a broker, or as part of your application, you must instruct the agent to purchase your shares. You must specify the quantity of Microsoft shares you would like to purchase, the type of order to execute (market, limit, stop), and any time limits on the order (Good Til Close or Good Until Canceled).
Verify proper execution of order. Review your trade confirmation to ensure that your order was executed as you instructed.

How to Get a Stock Trader License

Get a job at an investment company or brokerage firm. Whether you have your college degree or not, you must be employed by an investment or brokerage firm because they will be your corporate sponsor for the Series 7 exam. You cannot sit for this exam without a sponsor.
Study for your Series 7 exam. The Series 7 exam covers general securities regulations. Once you find a job at an investment or brokerage firm, you not only have to complete your employer's on-the-job training requirements, you are expected to study for the Series 7 exam at the same time. See Additional Resources to obtain a Series 63 study guide.
Sit for your Series 7. After your employer registers you for the Series 7, you have to call and schedule a time to sit for the exam at your local testing office. You must receive a score of 70 percent or better on the exam to pass.
Study for your Series 63 exam. The Series 63 exam covers securities regulations specific to your state. Not all investment brokerages or firms require a Series 63, but most do. See Additional Resources to obtain a Series 63 study guide.
Sit for your Series 63. After your employer registers you for the Series 63, you will need to call and schedule a time to sit for the exam at your local testing office. You must receive a score of 72 percent or higher on the exam to pass.

How to Measure Volatility of a Stock

Create a spreadsheet to compile and calculate stock price information. Make a separate page in the spreadsheet for each stock you are going to track to keep things simple and organized until you get accustomed to keeping and reading this type of data. For each stock make a column for historical stock prices and another for daily stock prices.
Make a list of the stocks you have holdings in currently and those that you are considering investing in. Write down stock names, trading symbols and stock prices with dates. Access historical stock price data and copy the information directly in to the spreadsheet you created.
Enter all historical information in to the spreadsheet. At a minimum you will need one month worth of daily stock prices to get started but for better results six months of historical stock price data is good.
Calculate what is known as the average closing price. This is done by finding the average of the stock price based on a period of time. Taking the six-month window of historical data as an example, you would find the average price of a stock over six months by adding all of the daily prices from the six-month range and dividing that number by 183. A different example would be for a 20-day period; add all 20 daily numbers and divide by 20 for the simple average.
Take the average closing price and calculate the difference between that average and the actual closing price. If you are using a spreadsheet you would create a third column for this information. This number is what is known as the deviation.
Square the deviation number and then add together all of the deviations for the time period that you are tracking. Then you take that sum of the squared deviations and divide that number by the time period you are tracking. For example, in the 6-month example you would divide the sum of all squared deviations by 183.
Take the square root of the last number calculated and you are left with the standard deviation. A higher standard deviation number means higher stock price volatility which then implies more pricing swings and movement, which is attractive to higher risk investors.

How to Read Stock Charts

Print out a sample stock chart to examine (see 'Additional Resources,' below). Stock charts can be set up on a daily, weekly or long-term format, but they all follow the same basic plan. Start at the top where you will see the stock symbol and date of the chart. Also at the top are the day's high, low, and closing prices and the volume of shares traded.
Look just below the top line of information. You will see an entry that says MA(30), MA (60) or some other number. This is the moving average. It is the average price of the stock over recent past. The number in parentheses tells you how many days the moving average covers. At the very bottom of the chart there should be a bar graph. This gives you the volume of shares traded each day the chart covers.
Examine the main graph between the top and the volume bar graph at the bottom. Each day's trading is usually represented by a short bar or 'candlestick.' The top of the bar indicates the high for that day and the bottom the low. If there is a graph line passing through these bars, it indicates the closing price.
Notice which way the graph of the stock price is pointed. If it is headed toward the upper right corner, the stock is in an upward trend. If it's pointed at the bottom right, it is in a downward trend. Sometimes the graph doesn't seem to be moving one way or the other, and traders call this a period of consolidation.
Understand the function of a stock chart. The point is to spot trends early so you can buy early in an upward trend and sell early in a downward trend. Traders use a number of indicators to do this. For example, look for price supports. A price support is a price below which the stock rarely drops. When it approaches the price support, it's likely to reverse the downward trend and start moving up. A price resistance is the same thing in reverse: a price the stock falls short of. If it gets close, the stock price tends to reverse direction and decline.

How to Stock a Hair Salon

Decide on the services you plan on offering in your hair salon. Full service salons need products for the client's hair, manicures, pedicures and facials.
Make a list of the types of products for your salon. Categorize items into different categories, such as shampoo, conditioner, cosmetics, hair dryers and flat irons.
Designate a place for products. Scope out a closet and/or create a display if you plan to offer products for purchase to your clients. Budget for shelving units and storage solutions to maximum use of the space.
Shop around the find the best deals online and locally. Wholesalers typically offer discounts to hair salons for equipment and salon only supplies.
Consider offering products to sell to consumers. Wholesalers can assist with promoting and selling accessories and products designed for home use at a profit.
Consult with other hair salons in the area for advice on popular items to stock, finding wholesalers and tracking.
Use software to track your inventory, monitor supply and demand and budget for your purchases.

How to Buy Stock on the International Stock Exchange

Choose your investment channel. If you're considering investing in the international stock market, most likely you already have a brokerage account in place. With international investments, it's best to have a knowledgeable adviser in your corner. If you've been going it alone up to this point, you might want to consider a full-service brokerage firm or a fee-based service to help you navigate this new terrain. Understanding currency exchange procedures, regulatory requirements and overall portfolio management advice is much needed when investing in the international stock market.
Research the global stock market. Two types of markets dominate the global stock exchange: Mature markets--These include the United States, London and Europe. These are markets in which growth potential is small. The corporate market momentum has pretty much stabilized.Developing markets--These markets are called BRIC economies and include the countries of Brazil, India, China and Russia. These are developing countries, and so their corporate market growth potential is large.You would think the developing markets would be the wise investment choice; however, developing countries are prone to frequent economic and political change. Changes like these impact the corporate structure of a country’s market system and can drastically improve or depreciate the value of a stock investment.Mature markets offer stability but little opportunity for growth. The potential for technological advancement within a mature market system is, however, a possible growth opportunity. Take some time to get a feel for the economic and political climates of the countries you’re looking to invest in. Changes in a country’s leadership, talk of intercontinental alliances or the potential of war or upheaval are things to look for when considering how stable an investment will be.
Match portfolio needs with international stock type. There are several different investment packages to consider when choosing international stocks. You can invest in a specific oversees company, or you can invest in a group of companies or even a group of countries.The main types of investment options offered by brokerages are:American depositary receipts (ADR)--These allow investors to invest in international stocks without buying into a foreign exchange.Exchange-traded funds (ETF)--These are, in essence, mutual funds that can be traded just like individual stocks.International funds--These are similar to exchange-traded funds. The only difference is they’re handled by a portfolio manager, and all decisions are made by the portfolio manager.Foreign securities--This is when an investor purchases international stock directly from his broker’s international trading desk.
Choose your broker carefully. More oftentimes than not, U.S. brokers who trade on the international market are trading through domestic market makers. The market maker is the middleman, and he’s the one who’s actually carrying out the trade exchange. As such, market makers make a profit off your investment monies. This is an extra cost that can best be put toward the investment stock itself.Instead, look for brokers who deal directly with oversees traders. Of course, they’ll charge a trading commission, but this charge is substantially lower than what goes to a domestic market maker.
Track currency exchange rates. Investing in oversees stock means your U.S. dollar will be converted to whatever a country’s currency is. The drawback here is not all currencies are created equal.Translating your U.S. dollar into a foreign currency rate means price quote amounts, dividends and fees will be altered to reflect the difference of value in the currencies in play. Make it a point to understand the currency exchange rates that apply to your portfolio makeup and incorporate them into your investment budget planning process.

How to Calculate Par Value of Common Stock (3 Steps)

Look through the company's financial statements for the balance sheet. It should have three sections: assets, liabilities and shareholders' equity. Go to the shareholders' equity section of the balance sheet. Sometimes the company uses the term 'stockholders' equity,' which means the same thing.
Identify the line referring to the company's issuance of common stock. It will say something such as 'book value of common shares outstanding' or 'book value of common shares.' This line will also provide the number of shares outstanding and the par value of the common stock, if any.
If the par value is not explicitly stated, divide the book value of the common shares outstanding by the number of common shares outstanding. The result is the par value for one share of that company's common stock.

How to Sell Stock Without a Broker

Transfer stock in lieu of cash donations to any charity you are gifting. Besides the tax advantage of giving appreciated stock to a charity, most brokerage houses charge charities little or nothing for gifted stock. If the stock is in physical form, merely sign the transfer power on the back of the certificate. For stock held by the broker, the charity will have instructions for you to follow.
Find a buyer for your stock---a family friend, neighbor or relative. It will be necessary to contact the transfer agent to have the stock transferred into the purchasing party's name. Use the stock price as of a certain date as the trade date, so there will be no disagreement among the parties as to the trade amount. Be certain there are no dividend payments pending, and if so, they should be paid to the selling party.
Use DRIP programs where possible. DRIP or dividend reinvestment plans allow you to buy as little as one share of stock from a participating member or a broker and then arrange for all dividends to be paid in the form of additional shares. Not all stocks have such a program, but the stocks that do tend to be large dividend-paying stocks. Shares can then be sold to plan participants, allowing the investor to pay no commissions for either buying or selling stock.
When making large purchases, use stock and sign the stock over to the buyer. He can sell the stock at his expense when he is ready. You avoid the commission and the buyer receives secure funds through ownership of the stock certificate.
Sell stock through an in-the-money covered call. This means writing an option below the current stock price. The premium paid by the call buyer to you, the seller, will more than cover the commissions for the option and the stock sale. This is a popular method used by large institutions to move large quantities of stock.

How to Buy Chrysler Stock (5 Steps)

Establish an account with a stock brokerage company or an investment firm that has the ability to purchase American Depository Receipts (ADR), the American equivalent of foreign stocks. Deposit the required amount of funds into your account.
Determine the number of shares of Fiat stock you wish to purchase. Check the current price per share. Fiat stock trades on the Italian stock exchange of Fiat ADRs trade over-the-counter in the United States as Fiat SPA under the symbol FIATY.
Contact your investment broker and instruct him to enter a Buy order which may be At The Market or you may designate the price you wish to pay per share, which may be lower than the current market price.
Instruct your broker whether you wish to take possession of your stock certificates or if you wish to keep the stock in street name. Keeping the stock in street name provides more security in that you do not have to store your certificates and it makes it more convenient should you decide to sell your shares at a future date.
Continue to watch the major news outlets for breaking stories regarding Chrysler's emergence from bankruptcy. Eventually the U.S. Treasury will sell its stake in the company which may create an opportunity for individual investors to purchase shares. The company may also choose to become a public company again through an initial public offering, or Fiat may decide to spin the company off if it does not perform up to expectation, which may also present an opportunity for purchasing stock in Chrysler.

How to Buy a New Issue Stock (5 Steps)

Buy new stock issues if you are an aggressive trader. New issue stock refers to stock offered for the first time in the market. It is also referred to as an initial public offering. An existing public company offering of stock is called a secondary stock offering.
You may wish to alert your broker that you intend to buy new issue stock. Brokers have regular access to new issue deals, but the lead manager of the offering controls where most of the stock goes. Deals come very quickly, and hot or strong deals have many indications of interest. You may be asked to increase your order knowing your order will be cut back sharply.
New issue stock for strong deals is usually allocated to the best clients of the firm. Some firms demand a lockup period of several days or weeks before you can sell the stock. If this is the case, it not wise to deal in new issues with this broker.
The managers of the deal will give a range of price for the stock offerings. The earlier you commit to a stock, the greater chance you have of getting it. If the deal is not strong, the broker should talk to his underwriters and advise you. Deals are usually very volatile and subject to heavy volume and churning by day traders.
Purchase stocks for $10 per share or more. Stocks below this price are usually intended for penny stock traders and uninitiated investors. Stay away from these stocks. Successful new issues demand institutional support. In addition, if the stock is moving up in price with strong volume and then retrenching in light volume do not sell the stock. This pattern is indicative of a healthy stock with continuing good technical strength.

How to Buy Stock Online Immediately

Sign up for an account through an on-line brokerage company. There are links to 'E*TRADE,' 'ShareBuilder' and 'Zecco' below, but there are many more to choose from. Click 'Sign Up,' and follow the prompts to complete your registration.
Transfer money into the brokerage account. This will normally take one business day to be processed and appear in your account.
Once the money has posted to your account, find the ticker symbol of the stock you want to buy on the site's research page. Once you know the symbol, go to your site's quotes page, type in the symbol and click 'Get Quote,' or your site's equivalent.
Select 'Buy' once the quote comes up. Select the amount of shares you would like to purchase. Then you will be asked if you would like to place a market order or a limit order. With a limit order, you set the exact price you want to pay. A market order buys the stock at the price sellers are asking at the moment.
Confirm the trade when your site asks you to, and in a moment you will receive a notification that your trade was accepted or declined. Your trade will usually only be declined if you do not have enough funds to cover it.

How to Buy Stock on TSX

Decide how you wish to access and control your stock investments. Large financial institutions and banks (e.g. the Royal Bank of Canada and TDAmeritrade) offer stock accounts linked to the individual's general savings account. The bank then manages the investments for the individual and returns the profit in a manner similar to interest or a money market. The contrasting option is opening an investment-only accounts. This generally gives the individual investor more control over buying and selling decisions and is typically the best choice for first-time investors in the TSX.
Create an account with your financial institution (for linked investment accounts) or investment-only account. For the former, contact your banks customer service department to learn how to link an investment account with your current savings account. If you are choosing to buy stocks through an investment-only account, choose an online stock broker. Online stock brokers offer flexibility and discounted rates to individual investors that larger stock broker firms do not. Examples include ING Canada and Questrade Canada. Links to these institutions are included in the Resources section of this article.
Setup a payment plan for your investment account. If it is linked to your savings account, the Canadian bank will simply withdraw funds from your savings. If you have an ING Canada account or similar plan, you will be required to link the investment account to a credit card or bank account.
Research the TSX stocks in which you wish to invest. The TSX is known for featuring a large array of oil- and energy-focused companies, but general consumer and automobile companies are also listed on the TSX. Consult a financial adviser or solicit recommendations from a fellow investor on which stocks historically perform well.
Invest in TSX stocks and track your progress. Like all stock markets, the value of the TSX can fluctuate widely within the perimeters of a single, 24-hour day. Be vigilant and understand the inner mechanisms of a stock market by reading guidebooks and taking financial seminars. The more educated you become, the better your TSX stocks will perform.

How to Calculate Stock Basis for Exercised Options

Receive notification from your brokerage that an option has been exercised. This will most likely come in the form of a trade confirmation the day after option expiration. If an option is 'In-The-Money' by even one cent, the option will be exercised.
Determine your initial cost in the stock. This will be the share price you paid to buy the stock for the first time.
Adjust your cost basis by calculating the total option premiums you have collected against the stock. Keep in mind that options which expired previously without being exercised also reduce your basis in the stock.For example, let's say you bought 100 shares of XYZ in January for $10 per share. You then sold the February $12.50 call option and collected a $1 premium, lowering your basis in the stock to $9 per share. On option expiration day in February, the stock is $11 per share, so the option expires worthless. You decide to sell a March $12.50 call, and this time you collect a $2 premium, lowering your overall basis to $7 per share.
Calculate your profit or loss. If an call option is exercised at a strike price higher than your basis in the stock, you have made a profit. To calculate the profit, you must subtract your basis in the stock from the strike price of the option.To use our earlier example, on option expiration day in March the stock is $13 per share. The option you sold is exercised at its strike price ($12.50). Your basis in the stock is $7. Therefore, $12.50-$7=$5.50 profit per share on the trade.If an option is exercised at a strike price below your cost basis, you have a loss. To calculate the loss, subtract the strike price from your basis in the stock.
Calculate your tax basis. For tax purposes, your basis in a stock also includes all the commissions and fees you incurred during the trade. The easy way to calculate that is to add up all the commissions and fees and divide the total by the number of shares you own.

How to Buy Stock in China

Open a suitable trading account with a broker that does business with Chinese stock markets, such as the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Most of the major US brokerages, such as Merrill Lynch, can provide this service. However, mainland Chinese stock exchanges categorize stocks as Class A or Class B, and foreigners can only trade in Class B stocks. Class B stocks are especially risky and many are dogs. It is best to skip directly to Step 2.
Apply for and get at least a temporary residency visa for Hong Kong or Macau. Only residents of Hong Kong or Macau are allowed to trade on the Hong Kong Exchange, so if you are not already in possession of a visa, you will need to get one. This will require at least a valid passport, criminal background check, and proof that you are in good health.
Open an account with a brokerage that does business on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Most (but not all) of the best companies in China are also traded on this exchange, and there are none of the limitations that force investors to put money into highly risky 'B' stocks. Start by investigating the list of brokers that do business there and picking one that suits your needs. A partial list is provided under Resources.
Download and complete either the Individual or Joint Investor Form, as well as the Debit Authorization Form. Regardless of who you choose as your middleman for trading in Hong Kong, you will need to submit these standard forms, in addition to what your broker requires to open an account. However, the good news is that if you have a valid visa, that is the only major document required to file these forms. Processing will take 2-3 weeks by mail, or mere hours if filed in person.
Transfer funds from your home bank to the Hong Kong account.

How to Make Money Selling Stock Photos (4 Steps)

Decide which photos you want to sell. Photos must be high-quality, crisp and clear, and cannot contain any trademarked items and logos. If using a model, she will need to sign a release form to allow you to sell the photo online (see the Resources section).
Create an account with one or more stock photography websites and upload your photos (see the Resources section). You will also need to have a PayPal account for any payments you may receive.
Choose the correct category for your photos so they can be found quickly by clients. Most clients know what they are looking for and will perform a search under a specific category.
Add several tags to your photos, so they can easily be found. With more tags you have a better chance of your photos being found in a search.

How to Buy Stock in Walt Disney Co.

Decide if you want to use a traditional brokerage to buy stock in Walt Disney Co. or open a direct stock purchase plan. Buying stock through a broker is usually more expensive (even with discount brokers) and requires higher investment minimums. However, you can use your brokerage account for other investments as well. A DSPP can only be used for the sponsoring company's stock, and you must adhere to the terms of the plan prospectus.
Open a cash account with a discount broker if you want to buy a share in Walt Disney Co. on the open market. Disney stock trades on the NYSE with the ticker symbol DIS. To open a cash account, you will need to provide a valid ID (driver's license, state ID or military ID), your income, place of employment and other personal information. A minimum deposit is required, usually $1,000. Once you've opened your account, all you have to do is place your order to buy a share of Walt Disney Co. with your broker.
Learn how the Walt Disney direct stock purchase plan works. The plan is set up with the company transfer agent, which is Disney Shareholder Services. The required investment is $250. This is payable in $50 (or more) monthly installments if you arrange for automatic debiting from your bank account. Each stock purchase transaction carries a fee of $1 if made by electronic funds transfer, or $5 if by check or money order. A per-share fee of 1 cent is also charged (subject to change without notice). There is a one-time setup fee of $10.
Enroll in the Disney DSPP if that's the best investment option for you. Read the plan prospectus before you complete the enrollment form. Both are available online (see Resources) or you can order paper copies by calling Disney Shareholder Services at 1-818-553-7200.
Select the features you want for your Disney DSPP. Dividends are reinvested automatically without charge. You can also get free safekeeping of your stock certificates, and you may transfer ownership of shares at no charge (to another member of your family, for example). Like most direct stock purchase plans, the Disney DSPP can be set up as a traditional or Roth IRA.

How to Learn The Stock Market Online

The biggest key in learning the stock market is to understand that you CAN understand how the stock market works, it just takes some time. Do not defeat yourself before you get started and say that it is too complicated for you, or you won't put the proper effort in and you won't understand the stock market.
Learn the stock market over a period of time. Understand that trying to learn too many things at one time can be overwhelming and it can cause you to not remember the most basic steps in the long run. Keep it simple and basic at first and then build up to the more complicated stock market definitions and terms.
What kind of places online help you learn the stock market? The best news of all is that there is a multitude of information out there to help you in your process of learning the stock market. Sites such as investopedia, motley fool, marketwatch, and Yahoo Finance are all very useful to help understand basic and more complex investing terms and theories.
The best way to go about it is to start with the basic terms on a site such as investopedia or motley fool, which have great sections geared toward the beginning investor. Learn about exactly how the stock market works and why companies sell shares of their stock. Learn how one can try to profit in the stock market, and the risks that you take in the stock market.
After you have mastered the basics it is time to move on to some of the more complex investment information. Now is the time to learn about things such as valuation methods, understanding a balance sheet of a company, and how to screen for the stocks that fit your personal needs the best.
Finally, I highly recommend practicing the stock market online. You can play the stock market simulation games online at investopedia or virtualstockexchange.com. These allow you to see exactly how buying or selling stocks work and track your progress before actually making the investment with your hard earned money.

How to Make a Stock Certificate (4 Steps)

Draft the wording for the front and back of the certificate. On the front side, include your company’s full legal name, the name of the person to whom you’re issuing the stock, the number of shares the certificate represents and the issue date; leave a space for the business owner or corporate officers to sign. On the back side, summarize 'fine print' legal rights and limitations. For example, explain that there is a waiting period between when an employee receives stock as part of a private company's stock option and can sell it.
Set the page orientation of an 8.5-inch by 11-inch sheet of 32-pound paper to landscape, as most stock certificates run horizontally across the page. Then set page margins as wide as possible, about 0.5 inches on all four sides. Choose the center alignment option so the certificate has an equal amount of white space on both sides. Turn on paragraph marks using the show-hide option if you need help with spacing or placement. Once you finish the first certificate, save it as a template.
Find a border using the Borders and Shading or the Clip Art feature in your word processing program, or visit websites such as PDClipart.org or FreePrintableBorders4U.com that offer free downloadable borders. Follow the Walt Disney Company’s lead and include a unique background that allows you to use a stock certificate as a branding tool. Although you most likely don’t have the option to include drawings of famous characters like the Walt Disney Company does, you can include your company logo, a picture of your facility or pictures of your products or services. Insert background images as watermarks to make sure the background doesn’t interfere with foreground text.
Select an appropriate font and font size. Stock certificates commonly use a cursive or script-style font such as Old English, Script or Calligraphy for the business name and title, and a standard font such as Times New Roman or Arial for the remaining information on the front and the back. Choose no more than one or two fonts to avoid a cluttered appearance. Set the font size to about 48 points for the title and 11 points to 14 points for the body to make sure all the information is clear and readable

How to Sell My Stock Certificate Online

Open an account with a discount online broker if you don't already have one. You can use a full-service broker or the company's transfer agent if they offer online services. However, you will probably pay higher brokerage commissions or transaction fees than discount brokers charge.
Fill out the transfer of ownership form on the back of each stock certificate. Call the customer service number for your broker to make sure you enter their name and other information as required. If you don't already have the broker's mailing address, this is a good time to ask for that as well.
Send the stock certificates to the broker by certified mail with the U.S. Postal Service. Because stock certificates may be of considerable value, they should be insured when you mail them.
Wait a few days to allow time for delivery and processing of your stock certificates. You'll see them credited to your account online. All you have to do then is place a sell order with the broker.
Keep complete records of the transaction. At tax time you'll need them to report any capital gains or losses.

How to Download Stock Data (6 Steps)

Go to your favorite investment research site. Yahoo! Finance and Google Finance are top-rated sites that provide free price quotes. You may also be able to download stock data directly into a spreadsheet from a company's website.
Input the name of the company or the ticker symbol in the Quote Box for a quote. For example, the ticker symbol for General Electric is GE, and you would input GE to get the data.
Click on 'Historical' or 'Historical Prices' in the left-hand pane.
Input the date range you want to study.
Click on the time increment for sorting the data. Options include daily, weekly and monthly price charts.
Click on 'Get Prices' for a list of historical stock prices. In Yahoo! Finance, to download the data to a spreadsheet, scroll to the bottom and click on 'Download to Spreadsheet.' In Google Finance, this is located in the right-hand pane.

How to Invest in the Spanish Stock Market (6 Steps)

Shop around among the major brokerages to find the most advantageous terms on a trading account that allows you access to international markets.
Follow your financial adviser's advice regarding the amount of start-up capital you'll commit to your brokerage account. With the relative volatility of the stock market, you're wisest not to put all your eggs in one basket.
Use the same procedure to research stocks as you would use if you were investing in the U.S. stock market. If you're a neophyte in the world of stock trading, it is essential that you take the time to educate yourself on the inner workings of the stock market before you attempt to invest in it. A large number of informative books on the subject are readily available at book retailers, as well as online.
Decide on a stock you want to invest in after you have spent some time getting to know the Spanish economy and have attained a good working knowledge of the principal players in the Spanish stock exchanges. Just as with domestic stocks, you should work with your financial adviser to find undervalued shares with a strong potential upside.
Have your brokerage place a buy order on shares of the Spanish company you've chosen to invest in. Typically, your domestic stockbroker will have to forward your request to a Spanish broker licensed to buy and sell shares on the Spanish exchanges to complete your order.
Use the official website of the Spanish exchange your company is listed on to track its day-to-day performance. The process of selling your shares will be the same one used to buy them: your broker will forward your request to Spain, and it will be filled there.

How to Calculate Daily Stock Return

Find the closing share price of a stock for the current day and the previous day on a financial website, such as Yahoo! Finance, Google Finance or MSN Money. The prices can be found by entering the stock symbol in the 'Get Quotes,' or similarly named, box near the top of the financial website's homepage.
Subtract the previous day's closing price from the current day's close. If the stock increased in value, the number will be positive. A down day will result in a negative number. For example, assume your stock finished yesterday at $24.75 and today the price fell and finished at $22. Subtract $24.75 from $22 to get negative $2.75.
Divide the result by the previous day's close and multiply by 100 to convert to a percentage. Continuing the example, divide negative $2.75 by $24.75 for a result of negative 0.1111. Multiply by 100 to get a daily stock return of -11.11 percent.

How to Open a Stock Brokerage Firm

Register with appropriate regulatory authorities and organizations. Unless a broker intends to conduct business solely within a state, it must register with the Securities and Exchange Commission by filing Form BD, the Uniform Application for Broker-Dealer Registration. It is also required that a broker may not begin business until it has become a member of a self-regulated organization (SRO) such as a national securities exchange or FINRA, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. With few exceptions, a broker must also be a member of the SIPC, the Securities Investor Protection Corporation, which insures brokerage customers up to $500,000 in a broker liquidation.
Have partners, managers and employees registered with FINRA and arrange for them to pass their securities exams. In addition to a brokerage firm becoming a member of FINRA, its associated persons who effect securities transactions for the firm must also register with FINRA by filing Form U-4 through the firm. FINRA also sets qualification requirements for associated persons including passing a series of securities examinations. Among them, the comprehensive series 7 for corporate securities trading must be taken by anyone wishing to be a registered general securities representative.
Choose either to become an exchange member or sign an institution brokerage account agreement with another floor broker. Because there are only a limited number of seats from any stock exchange, new brokerage firms interested in becoming an exchange member have to either wait for a vacant seat to be for sale, or lease a seat from a current seat owner. Other firms may elect to conduct their brokerage business through a member broker. The New York Stock Exchange, for example, has 1366 floor brokers, including 7 designated specialists or market makers that non-member brokers can choose when routing their customers' orders.
Set up an infrastructure and platform for receiving and routing customer orders. These include purchasing computer servers, creating a website and choosing a stock trading software company for trading platform installation. All brokerage firms nowadays provide customers with access to online account management and online trading of securities. Depending on the intended size and complexity of the new brokerage firm, align your needs with the right version of trading software, full-fledged or scaled-down. Tech companies providing financial software offer such choices.

How to Find a Stock Broker

Determine your investment objectives. If you're only using a small fraction of your assets to invest every now and then, you should make cost control your main priority. Use financial publications such as Kiplinger's and Barron's to compare one brokerage against the other, and see who offers the lowest commissions and fee structures. If you're investing larger sums that constitute the majority of your assets, you might want to choose your broker based on capabilities rather than price. Be aware that price and capability are not mutually exclusive, however, since some of the lowest-cost brokerages such as TradeStation and Interactive Brokers have consistently received the highest customer satisfaction rankings.
Decide whether you want to trade or invest. Trading involves frequent buying and selling of stocks in hopes of making small, recurrent profits. Investing, on the other hand, involves deploying your capital in one or more companies for at least a year. Typically, larger full-service stock brokers are better equipped to assist longer-term investors looking for help with analyzing the financial statements and business prospects of the companies they want to invest in, while discount brokers are essential for people who are self-directed, actively trade and seek to keep the cost of their commissions down.
Figure out how much active help and advice you want from your broker. If you're relatively new to investing or trading, you might want the assistance of a full-service broker, who can give you some advice on investing methods and procedures, such as how to buy a stock with a stop-limit order or how to set a trailing stop loss. If you're more independent-minded and already checked out the basics of investing and trading, you should set up an account with a discount broker. Be aware that even if you use a full-service broker, the advice you get will not necessarily improve your stock market returns.
Determine which types of stocks you want to invest in or trade. Some brokerages are only equipped to buy and sell shares of mainstream American companies that have minimum market capitalizations of tens of millions of dollars. If you intend to purchase shares in low-market capitalization companies, illiquid penny stocks, foreign entities, or other irregular securities, be sure that your broker can accommodate.
Make sure that the broker you're considering opening an account with is registered with the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), which insures your account for up to $250,000. If you have a larger account, consider looking for brokers that carry extra insurance from private providers such as Lloyd's of London.

How to Get Stock Quotes in Excel

Open Microsoft Excel. First, select 'Start' from the main operating system menu. Next, choose 'Programs.' Then, click on 'Microsoft Office' in the programs menu. Finally, select 'Microsoft Excel' from the Microsoft Office menu.
Click on the 'Data' menu from the Microsoft Excel main menu screen. Then, choose 'Get External Data' from the data menu. A dialog box will appear with a list of established data sources. Finally, choose the data source labeled 'Investor Stock Quotes.'
Select the cell in the spreadsheet for the stock quote information input or choose the 'Create New Worksheet' option to place the stock quote in a new worksheet. After selecting either option, select 'OK' from the dialog box.
Type the stock ticker symbol into the next Microsoft Excel dialog box. If the user wants to update the stock quote in the future, choose 'Use this value/reference for future refreshes.' Also check the second check box if you would like the information to refresh on its own.
Save the Microsoft Excel file for future use. Select 'Save' from the main file menu, name the file and choose the appropriate place on the computer hard drive to save it.

How to Buy Royal Caribbean Stock

Open a stock brokerage account if you do not already have one. Your bank may offer brokerage services, or you can visit the local office of a full-service brokerage firm. As an alternative, online discount brokers let you buy and sell shares through an online account access. Online commissions range from $5 to $10 each time you buy or sell. Commission rates for a live broker will be significantly higher, but the broker will handle all of the required paperwork.
Transfer some money into your brokerage account. Account funding minimums range from zero to several thousand dollars. You can send in money by check, wire transfer or set up Automated Clearing House payments. ACH transfers take a couple of days to clear, but cost nothing. Once they are set up, you can move money in either direction.
Look up the Royal Caribbean share price. Use the RCL stock symbol to find the current price using either your online account screen or one of the major financial websites.
Determine how many shares you would like to buy. In most cases, you can only purchase whole shares, one or greater. Multiply the number of shares times the share price plus the commission rate to get the total cost. For example, in July 2014, RCL was trading at about $60 per share. With a $10 commission, 15 shares would cost $910 and 200 shares would be $12,010.
Submit a buy order for the number of shares you want using either the online trading screen of your discount brokerage account or by calling your broker and telling her to buy the shares for you.
Verify with your broker or online that the shares have been purchased and at what share price. It only takes a few seconds to complete a stock purchase. However, the share price fluctuates constantly throughout the market hours, so your actual purchase price may be a little higher or lower than the price shown online before you placed the order.

How to Record Stock Options on a Balance Sheet

Record the periodic cost allocation of the stock option. The periodic cost is the value of the stock options divided by the number of service years. Record a journal entry that debits 'compensation expense' (this expense is reported in the income statement) and credits 'additional paid in capital -- stock options' (a stockholder's equity account reported in the balance sheet). Record this cost annually throughout the employee's vesting period.
Record the exercise of the stock option. When the exercise date arrives, the employee can exercise the option and purchase the company's common stock at the exercise price. Common stock is valued at par, a designated dollar amount used to value each share of common stock on the balance sheet. When common stock is sold or repurchased, it is usually for a price above the par value, so the excess amount over par is credited to an 'additional paid in capital' account. The journal entry to record the exercise of the option involves debiting 'cash' for the number of shares purchased multiplied by the exercise price. In addition, debit 'additional paid in capital -- stock options' for the balance accumulated in the account over the vesting period and credit 'common stock' for the number of shares purchased multiplied by the stock's par value. The remaining credit is made to 'additional paid-in capital in excess of par (common stock)' for the amount needed to balance the journal entry.
Record the expiration of the options, if applicable. If a stock option is not exercised on its exercise date, it will expire or sometimes only some of the shares offered by the option are purchased. If the options expire, the balance in the 'additional paid in capital -- stock options' account needs to be transferred to 'additional paid in capital -- expired stock options' account. By debiting the stock options account and crediting the expired stock options account, the cost is reclassified within the stockholder's equity section of the balance sheet. When a portion of the option shares are exercised and a portion expire, allocate the costs as explained in steps 2 and 3 based on the number of shares purchased and the remaining value of the option that expired.

How to Connect an Amp to a Stock Stereo

Remove your stock head unit and locate the speaker channel outputs in the wire harness plugged into its back panel. Most stock stereos will have four speaker channels with four corresponding wires. The channels are 'Left Front,' 'Left Rear,' 'Right Front' and 'Right Rear.' These wires carry a signal that is already amplified by the stock head unit's built-in power amp. This signal must be brought down using a converter or through an amp with the proper inputs.
Strip the ends of the speaker channel wires and connect them to the corresponding inputs on the amplifier, if connecting directly via high-level signal, or to the matching wires on your line out converter. Be sure to account for the length of wire needed to make your connections. If your wires are too short or you accidentally cut off too much, you can splice in extra speaker wire to increase the length. If connecting directly to an amp, skip to Step 4.
Take the RCA lines from your line out converter and connect them to the proper RCA channels on your amplifier. The line out converter is small enough to be installed behind most stock stereo head units. If you plan to mount your converter elsewhere, do so now and take the length of RCA speaker cables into consideration when making connections.
Run speaker wire from the the speaker outputs of the amp to the corresponding speakers. Connect your amplifier to the power system of your car. Consult the manuals included with your speakers and amplifier to ensure proper and safe installation.
Turn on your car and audio system and test for clean output. If everything checks out, reinstall the factory stereo head unit and make sure your amplifier is secured. You have now successfully increased the output and sound quality of your stock stereo system.

How to Transfer Stock Into an IRA

Open an IRA account. Before you can transfer stock into an IRA, you must establish one at a financial services firm. Most banks or brokerage houses should be able to set one up for you if your provide them with basic financial information, such as name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, and beneficiaries. Inform the firm that you wish to transfer stock into the account and ask if there are any special restrictions or requirements.
Bring your stock certificates into your financial services firm. The most secure way to transfer stock into your IRA is to simply bring the physical certificates into the firm. If you are taking your certificates from another IRA account to make your transfer, you have 60 days to make the rollover deposit to avoid taxation on the full value of your stock. Sign the back of the certificates to endorse them over to the firm for your benefit. Inform your firm that this is a transfer, and not a deposit or contribution. Ask for a receipt of your deposit.
Contact the custodian of your stock certificates and request a transfer. If you would rather transfer your stock directly, contact the firm which holds your stock on your behalf and say you want to make a trustee-to-trustee transfer. The delivering firm will request the name of the firm where your IRA is held, your account number, and other firm-specific information.
Monitor your transfer. Whether you deposit your stock in person or electronically, follow the transfer to make sure that your stock arrives in the correct account and in the correct amount. Usually, you can check your account status online, or if you haven't established such a connection with your firm, contact your financial adviser and verify the status of the transfer. You can also check your monthly statements, although you should generally check on your transfer sooner.

How to Buy Stock Online in Canada

Determine whether you wish to buy stocks through a stand-alone investment account or through your current financial institution. Some of the larger Canadian banks, such as the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), allow customers to invest a portion of their savings account in stocks. On the other hand, stand-alone investment accounts typically offer more features for investors and allow individuals to customize their investing strategy using a variety of investment-specific tools. Thus, stand-alone investment accounts are generally a better choice for investors.
Research the Canadian options for an online stockbroker or investment manager. Trading stocks online offers significant savings over a traditional stockbroker by offering individual investors lower fees for buying and selling. Canada has fewer options when it comes to online stockbrokers. For example, some of the biggest U.S. online stockbrokers (such as ShareBuilder) are not available in Canada. Three of the larger online stockbrokers available to Canadians include the Royal Bank of Canada's Direct Investing service (rbcdirectinvesting.com), ING Canada (ingcanada.com) and Questrade (questrade.com).
Evaluate each online stockbroker. Request detailed information on their pricing plans to find which broker charges the least amount for your investment lifestyle. Not all brokers are alike. Don't choose a broker just because it has what looks like a cheaper plan compared to its competitors. Some of the cheapest plans may require you to invest a certain amount of money each month, thus costing more than a more expensive plan that does not force you to buy a certain amount of stocks.
Register with the online stockbroker of your choice. You will need to provide personal financial information, such as your Social Insurance Number (SIN). You will also need to connect your investment account with a payment option, such as a credit card or a bank account.
Consult another stockbroker before buying stocks, and read books that deal with buying stocks for the first time. The stock market offers great potential to make money, but individuals can also lose money if they don't know what they're doing and invest in a poorly performing stock. Do as much research as you can before buying stocks for the first time. Many online stockbrokers provide guides and can help you select the right stocks for the level of risk you are willing to take. Typically, the higher the risk level, the more money you can lose (and earn).
Keep track of your stock market earnings from buying and selling stocks. Each year, you will have to pay taxes to the federal government of Canada on any capital gains you have made in your investments. Read the Canada Revenue Agency's guide to capital gains (see Resources).

How to Find Stock Prices (5 Steps)

Peruse the Wall Street Journal, or WSJ.com (subscription required), the Financial Times, Barron's or the financial section of your local newspaper for closing stock prices of most listed stocks. If your investment horizon is long-term and your portfolio contains financially sound, high quality shares, real-time stock quotes of your holdings throughout the day may not be necessary to making buy and sell decisions. I
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Check stock price information through the trading day if you plan to buy or sell a company based on fundamental or technical information. Obtain this information by going online. Google Finance, MSN Money, DailyFinance from AOL and others offer free real-time price information about most exchange listed shares. Yahoo Finance offers streaming real-time information for a small monthly charge. MarketWatch consolidates news from a variety of market resources for busy investors. Streaming services for your mobile also provide access to real-time price information.Broker-dealers may provide real-time stock price information free of charge as a customer.
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Get quotes directly from the exchange floor throughout the trading day. NASDAQ offers a free stock market ticker to provide constant stock price updates as they occur on the trading floor. The New York Stock Exchange Euronext offers many free tools including charts of individual stocks and market indices during the trading day. Some market index information may be delayed up to 20 minutes, according to the NYSE.
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Check the Investor or Investor Relations page of each company's shares in your portfolio to stay advised of price and relevant information that impacts share value. Not all companies maintain a real-time price. If you are concerned about intra-day price movements, you should also use real-time stock price quotations.
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Watch CNN's cable television broadcast to obtain real-time ticker information about stock prices and market indices, as well as interviews with marketplace personalities. Many stock traders keep CNN on throughout the day to learn about news events that drive market moves while at home or in the office.
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How to Open an Online Stock Account (5 Steps)

Learn how the stock market works fully before starting an online stock account. Having a stock account doesn't provide you with help making decisions about where to invest, how much to invest or when to sell. Therefore, you must be able to make these decisions for yourself.
Know what discount brokers are. Discount brokers are the most common type of online stock account. As their name implies, they do not provide you with stock advice but rather the ability to invest in stocks. Compare several companies for costs and for the services they offer before you open an account. Commissions range from a few dollars up to 10 percent or more of the profit you make, but they may also charge per transaction.
Choose an online stock account providing real-time information and stock quotes. Find out how often stock prices are updated so you have the freshest information available before making investments.
Determine which account offers the features you are interested in. Some allow you to use a credit card; others do not. Some stock accounts provide you with more ability to research information. Others offer consulting services.
Select the best online stock account for you and fill out the application. You may need to send a hard copy to the broker before you can trade. Most allow for immediate access to the markets to trade. You may have to deposit funds into your account before being able to perform transactions, and some accounts allow you to have an initial credit line.

How to Monitor Stock Prices in Microsoft Excel

Open a blank Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.
Click on a cell where you want to show a stock price.
Click on 'Data' in the top menu bar.
Scroll down to 'Import External Data,' then over to 'New Web Query.'
In the window that pops up, type the URL http://finance.yahoo.com in the address.
Enter the stock symbol you wish to track. Be sure to double check that you entered the correct stock symbol by checking the company name that shows.
Scroll down to 'Last trade:' and click on the arrow to the left. The arrow will change to a check mark. The data highlighted will be shown on your spreadsheet.
Choose the data you wish to be in your spreadsheet, then click on the 'Import' button at the bottom of the window. You may choose to add any data with an arrow next to it into your spreadsheet by clicking on the arrow to the left of the data.
Verify the cell where you want the data to appear when prompted. You can click on any cell in the spreadsheet if you wish to change the location. Click on 'OK' after choosing the cell.
Save the spreadsheet. You can update the stock price(s) any time by clicking on 'Data' in the top menu bar. Then scroll down to 'Refresh Data' and click on it.
Know that you can also update the stock prices in the 'External Data' toolbar. Just click on the red exclamation point in that toolbar.

How to Cancel a Stock Certificate (5 Steps)

Retrieve the stock certificate from your broker, or vault, if it is stored in your possession.
Flip the stock certificate over and write 'VOID,' in bold letters, across the back of the certificate. Your broker can perform this task for you.
Record a date of cancellation, such as 'January 01, 2010' or '01/01/10.'
Jot down the transaction date printed on the right side of the certificate. Record the date in your books.
Figure the age of the canceled stock certificate. For example, 'Certificate 1234 was canceled on January 01, 2010, just nine months after the original transaction date.' Record this information in your books.

How to Make a Rifle Stock (10 Steps)

Identify your rifle and its specific style. If you are looking to replace an old and worn-out rifle stock, you may simply copy the design. But if you want to improve the look of your rifle, you need to look up various websites that deal with stock design so you can choose an appropriate shape and size.
Design and plan your rifle stock to the smallest detail. Draw the design to see how it will eventually look like when finished and choose the type of the wood as well. Note that the wood you choose for the stock needs to be of highest quality, aside from being hard, resilient and strong. One of the most common types of wood used for stocks is walnut. When you have the plan and the dimensions, purchase the needed materials and gather all the tools necessary. Remember that the most important dimensions are: length of pull, drop at comb and drop at heel, cast on and cast off and pitch.
Choose a particular wood board such as walnut or any other type you want for your rifle stock. Check the wood on all sides to see whether there is any discoloration, knots or other damage. Also check the pattern of the wood grain, since it needs to be healthy looking and, most importantly, spread in the direction of the longer dimension. If you can't see the wood grain clearly, pour some water on the board to see it. Then quickly wipe the excess liquid with a dry clean cloth, since the wood need to be absolutely dry.
Make a Plexiglas template of your design and cut it with a saw. Then hold the Plexiglas against the wood board and look through it to see how the grain is directed and positioned. Since the template is transparent, you will be able to see what the best position for the stock is. Use a marker to draw around the template and mark the place for cutting the stock.
Cut the wood to the required length, following the edges of the marked template. Make sure to add an extra inch or two for styling and shaping. Use a power saw for this task and make sure to protect yourself and others while using it.
Cut the exact shape of the template by using a bandsaw. A bandsaw is a power tool that can accomplish finer and more detailed cutting, ut make sure not to cut inside the lines: that kind of extra fine work is best left for hand-held carpentry tools.
Shape the stock into its final form by using a chisel and sandpaper. Treat the edges and the sides with sandpaper and use a chisel to add shadow lines or whatever other elements you wish. Make sure to achieve a comfortable and ergonomic shape of the stock, which provides a secure and firm fit and a stable grip as well. Check the shape from time to time during this part of the process so you can feel it in your hands and, more importantly, on your shoulder. Check the stock against the rifle as well. Now is the time to make the final adjustments if needed. Remember, the stock needs to be firmly and seamlessly attached to the rifle when it's finished.
Attach the metal part/hardware that will eventually be mounted to the rifle. Use a chisel to carve the place for the metal part and then attach it with strong wood glue and leave it in a vise for a few hours to dry and harden.
Apply a layer of wood primer and then let it dry completely. At this point, you will be able to see the beauty of the wood grain and pattern more clearly.
Finish your rifle stock by applying a coat of wood gloss or wood lacquer to its surface. Use a fine, soft brush with natural fibers to apply the gloss and make sure to allow one layer to dry and harden before adding another one.

How to Buy Wells Fargo Preferred Stock (6 Steps)

Compare the different types of preferred stock available. Wells Fargo Capital has six offerings. They include Non-Cumulative Convertibles (CUSIP: 949746804), Non-Cumulative Perpetual (two offerings; CUSIP: 949746PM7 and 949746879), Wells Fargo Preferred Funding Corp (CUSIP: 92977V206), Fixed Rate Cumulative Perpetual (No CUSIP) and Dividend Equalization Preferred (CUSIP: 949746887).
Compare callable dates. A call date refers to the date the company can 'call back' or pay you back for the securities. Convertibles have a call option embedded as a feature and the fixed rate cumulative securities are also callable at any time. All others have call dates ranging from March 15, 2018, to Dec. 31, 2022.
Compare coupons. The coupon is the amount you will receive in interest for buying the bond. Coupons are both fixed or floating, and range from 5 percent to 9 percent or more depending on the associated index.
Compare coupon payment dates. Payment dates can range from twice a year to four times a year. Choose an offering that best fits your income needs.
Compare final maturities. All of Wells Fargo's preferred stock are perpetual, which means they have no final maturity date.
Make a purchase through your broker, online broker or contact Wells Fargo Capital directly. You will need the CUSIP number provided in Step 1. This number contains all the information the broker or Wells Fargo representative needs. You will also need to stipulate the number of shares you wish to purchase. Divide the amount you would like to invest by the current price of the stock (see Resources).

How to Make a Prediction From a Stock Chart

Use indicators. In addition to the price of a stock over a given time period, most charts include data on volume and price moving averages as well as various meta-indicators that help interpret this data. The Relative Strength Indicator and Moving Average Convergence/Divergence oscillator are common indicators that most chartists use to confirm the strength of a trend.
Identify support and resistance. Some of the most useful information to a trader or investor is support and resistance levels. These are the price at which a stock has tendencies to be widely bought and sold. Often, price will react predictably at these levels, consistent with past performance. If these levels are broken by prices moving beyond them, however, they are still useful as confirmation of a major change in behavior.
Look for trend lines. Trends are what most investors and traders want to spot. By connecting tops or bottoms, chartists can draw a trend line and evaluate whether it's used as support or resistance in continuation of the trend.
Count wave patterns. Elliott wave counting is a complex and highly specialized chart-reading technique that can make powerful predictions about a stock based on the relative size and duration of price movements.
Read candlesticks. One of the oldest chart-reading techniques is the interpretation of candlesticks. Most have Japanese names because the technique was invented by rice traders in Japan. The relative shape and size of a candlestick's body and wick and its shape in relation to the candlesticks adjacent to it are widely believed to have predictive value.