Stock tickers are a running list of trades made on the market. Each up and down movement in a stock is considered a ‘tick’. When the stock market information was transmitted over the telegraph, it was printed on ticker tape. Nowadays, ticker tape refers to any scrolling or updated stock market information, often in digital form. Below are a few resources to pick up a free ticker application.
NASDAQ Free Tickers
The NASDAQ website offers a few interesting ways to keep track of investments. The first flavor is a web browsing toolbar. As an investor navigates the Internet, his stocks will be only a glance away on the customizable toolbar. When the investor is not browsing the internet, the NASDAQ market ticker is available for his desktop. This updated source also carries top news headlines. Lastly, there is a NASDAQ widget that can be used on the desktop, website, or social networking site.
MarketBrowser Tickers
Another player on the market is MarketBrowser. This three megabyte download is rich in features. The one complaint is that one needs to first register the program before using, but it is free. The program will appear as an icon in the lower right tray of Windows. Clicking on it will allow one to view charts, use technical indicators, and even do deep research into SEC filings. If an investor has more advanced needs, this free application would likely suit his needs.
Yahoo! and Free Ticker Tools
Most people would be shocked if the big search engines did not have their fingers in the ‘ticker tape for websites’ pie. Yahoo does not disappoint in this regard. They offer a customizable application that can stream quotes, charts, and news. The web designer can alter color schemes, time ranges on the charts, and much more. Yahoo keeps the process intuitive and simple. To get this ticker tool a person should type into a search request for ‘Yahoo finance badges’ and follow the link.
Stock Tickers and Over Trading
Although having up-to-date information on investments is important, each investor needs to be cautious that he does not fall into the trap of information overload. Some traders get into the bad habit of reacting to every little news item and price blip, and they over-trade. Over-trading will quickly erode profits in a glut of transactions, and may keep an investor sidelined when they should be invested.
If an investor has a rock solid strategy for trading, and is careful about stock selection, he will be far less likely shaken from him position as minor news items cross his plate with stock market tickers.
Sources
Yahoo.com
Marketbrowser.com
Nasdaq.com
