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 Learn to Read Stock Market Quotes (4 Steps)

Find a good financial site online such as Yahoo! Finance to assist in learning to read stock market quotes. Review glossary terms that can assist in helping you understand things like volume indicators, bid price, daily high, daily low, as well as all other stock quote numbers. Before you invest, you must understand what these numbers mean and where they are coming from. Until you grasp the concept of these terms, you won't be a successful trader.
Use technical charts in order to learn to read stock market quotes. There are several technical indicators that can signal a bullish or bearish event for short, medium, and long term periods. You should only use technical indicators in combination with other factors including fundamental analysis.
Research overall market trends that can help you learn to read stock market quotes. No matter how bullish or bearish an individual stock may appear, it is virtually impossible to move against the overall trend of the market. Understanding the moves in the entire economic landscape can help assist in your analysis.
Pay attention to annual shareholder meetings, quarterly financial reports, dividend announcements and other key news as part of your analysis. While this information may not immediately impact the movement of a stock price, overtime it will normally be reflected. Learning to read stock market quotes takes time and patience to be a successful trader and investor.

How to Trade Stock With Intraday Volatility

Open an investment account. In order to trade stocks, the trader must first have an investment account. To participate in day-trading activities, the trader must have at least $25,000 in his account.
Track the VIX. The VIX is a measure of volatility. The higher the number, the more volatility a trader can expect on a given trading day. Moderate volatility is often defined as a VIX in the high 20s to high 30s. As the number falls, it becomes more difficult to profit on intraday variances because markets tend to be more flat.
Find a list of high beta stocks. A high beta stock is a stock that moves up or down at a higher rate than the overall market. If a stock has a beta of 1, when the S&P 500 goes up 1 percent, the stock will as well. A trader looking to profit on volatility often trades stocks with a beta higher than 1. The higher the beta, the better.
Research those stocks on the high-beta stock list. A combination of technical and fundamental analysis will reveal those stocks that have the potential for a big, short term move.
Place a combination of long and short trades. Volatility traders often use a combination of short-selling and traditional long trading to both protect their assets and attempt to profit when the price of a stock goes up and down.

How to Buy Stock as Gifts For Children (4 Steps)

Decide how to invest in or buy the shares of stock you are planning to give. The easiest and most financial efficient way to buy stocks for children as gifts is through Dividend Reinvestment Plans, or DRIPs. Many companies accept direct investments from anyone who wants to invest. This means that you can invest without going through a broker and without paying high fees and commission. Once you buy the first share for the child, anyone can continue adding to the account by buying more shares. The dividends earned by the shares of stock can be automatically reinvested to buy more.
Decide how to invest in the DRIP. Contact the individual companies via their Investor Relations department and ask if you can purchase shares of stock directly. Alternately, use a DRIP service company, which requires the child's Social Security number and the creation of a custodial account.
Choose a company in which to invest, which often means buying stocks with which you are familiar. Remember a child has a long-term horizon for investing. Buy shares in companies that offer growth over the long-term. Typically, growth companies don't pay dividends, or pay only a minimal amount. Income stocks pay dividends, but may not experience as much growth.
Buy the share of stock as a gift for your child, grandchild, niece or nephew. If you decide to buy directly from a company, you will receive a statement from the company representing the purchase. If you buy from a DRIP service company, you'll receive a statement with the purchased shares held in the custodial account.

How to Learn Stock Market Charts

Locate the stock symbols of the companies you are investigating. Knowing the location of the stock symbol (normally on the top left hand corner of a stock chart) will allow you to quickly identify the stock with which you are dealing. Familiarize yourself with all of the symbols which are a part of your stock portfolio by committing them to memory, or simply have them printed out and placed in an area where they can easily be seen.
Read the high and low price points of the stock. Understanding the high and low price of your stock is crucial when it comes to reading stock charts. Viewing the high and low of the stock will let you see the highest price that stock reached, and the lowest price which the stock reached over a given period of time. Most online charts give the option to show different periods of time, from one day to a year or more.
Find the moving average. A moving average tracks the movement of the stock during a particular time frame. Comprehend that you can track the movement of a stock chart over a 30 or 90 day time frame.
Determine the stock volume. Volume simply means the number of people that were trading the stock on any given day. The volume is usually found beneath the price graph. Track the volume in days, months or weeks by referring to the dates on the chart. A high volume indicates a lot of transactions taking place on that day, which usually moves the stock significantly up or down.
Analyze trends. Know that when the price of a stock market chart is trending in an upward direction, the price is likely to go higher due to trading momentum. Similarly, stocks that are moving in a downward direction will tend to keep moving in that direction. Observe which direction the stock chart you are reading is moving. If the price is moving toward the top right corner of the chart, the stock is trending up. If the stock price is moving in the direction of the lower right corner of the chart, the stock is trending in a downward direction.
Understand support and resistance levels. Support refers to the lowest point a stock has a tendency to reach and then rebound in an upward direction. Resistance is the point a stock will normally reach and then seem to bounce off that price level and move in a downward direction.