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 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 Transfer Stock After Death (4 Steps)

Determine how the stock was registered. The different registrations are Individual Single Owner, Transfer On Death, Joint Tenant with Right of Survivorship and Joint Tenants in Common. Shares can also be placed in a trust. Knowing how the shares are registered will determine how much effort it will take to transfer them.
Secure a transfer of stock ownership form and fill it out completely. Of course, for accounts that are not jointly owned, the estate must be probated before the transfer process can take place. For Transfer On Death accounts, there is no probate needed and they do not have to be included in a will.
Obtain a Medallion Signature Guarantee if one is needed. In some situations, such as when there is over a certain quantity of shares, such a guarantee is needed. This can be obtained from a bank that participates in the Medallion Stamp program. This program guarantees the signature on stock certificates. A notary stamp is not a substitute for the Medallion Stamp.
Complete an Inheritance Tax Waiver if the state requires one. Some states may require this waiver and some may not.

How to Sell Metlife Stock

Call your brokerage firm. If you signed up with a online brokerage firm, log on. Make sure you have your certificate of ownership when selling MetLife stock at a brokerage firm. When you are online, it should already indicate that you own MetLife Stock.
Indicate how many shares of MetLife stock you want to sell.
Sell your MetLife stock online, after indicating the amount, or sell the shares using your broker at the brokerage firm.