So this past week I followed some of your advice from the knowledgebase. I graphed out the historical prices for each of the 21 stocks I owned. I just started from 1 January and charted a weekly price. Then I marked where I bought. It was a little bit work intensive this first time but going forward it will be easy to maintain once per week.
I just wanted to say thanks. I rely a lot on electronics to do things for me and it was a very educational exercise to plot everything out. I think going forward it will help me to keep emotions in check because looking at a graph is much easier on the eyes than reading columns of numbers.
So this past week I followed some of your advice from the knowledgebase. I graphed out the historical prices for each of the 21 stocks I owned. I just started from 1 January and charted a weekly price. Then I marked where I bought. It was a little bit work intensive this first time but going forward it will be easy to maintain once per week. I just wanted to say thanks. I rely a lot on electronics to do things for me and it was a very educational exercise to plot everything out. I think going forward it will help me to keep emotions in check because looking at a graph is much easier on the eyes than reading columns of numbers. Matthew
Yes, and it sure gives a better visual image, doesn’t it! Glad you are happy with it!
Saul
Matt,
Maybe you enjoy the exercise of drawing the chart, but one of the readers of this board (Steve Wagner) contributed a charting application he wrote a while back. Here’s a link:
There are two applications PE Chart and PET Chart, The PET chart allows for tracking trades. You also need two text files (I think included with the link). One for earnings info which you need to enter manually, another for keeping trade info (date, qty, price). Warning, don’t trust the included earnings data. It’s best you verify any earnings you actually intend to use.
The charts are not exact replicas of Saul’s charts, but they pretty well convey the same info. They automatically update price info and represent it in a number of different ways. You can track daily or monthly prices, but not weekly. I guess weekly stock prices are not shown at where ever Steve has source the info.
I’ve been thinking/hoping this is a problem limited to myself as a measure of my (in)competence with software - so I haven’t previously raised it.
The charting application is beguiling. But, I can’t get it to run (Window’s 7). Maybe this is the same for other folk? . The application doesn’t recognise my text files; doesn’t appear to accept direct inputs for earnings and a few other things I don’t know how to describe. I think I’ve read back through most of the threads pertaining to the application and because I can’t get it to work have assumed it’s something inept happening my end.
Mentioning this here as if the application is being referenced as a resource then presumably it works. But, don’t bang your head against the wall if it doesn’t.
It’s been akin being given a gift from a very generous benefactor; feeling like you’ve dropped it; broken it; superglued it together and popped it on the mantle hoping that somehow it will fix itself.
Incidentally, haven’t mentioned this to this time:
I’m yet another lurker on this board. I haven’t wanted to put pen to keyboard for fear of getting the nuance wrong - either sycophantic at one extreme or too glib at the other. But, it has to be mentioned before everyone else uses up all of the appropriate superlatives:
This board has become one of the last things I look at of an evening; one of the first things I look at in the morning (in Australia in case that reads a bit oddball). This board has been a phenomenon wonderful to witness. I’m very thankful to Saul as he has gifted me - a complete stranger - his distilled experience. Moreover, he keeps patiently rewriting, redrafting it just in case I/we didn’t get it the first ten times around. He’s also been guiding host able to lure a lot of talent to this board and keep it all focused. Quite extraordinary.
B,
Don’t quite know what to say. I too run Win7 and the little ap from Steve runs flawlessly. Might it have something to do with down under? I doubt it, just a snide remark. I’ve not clue, well maybe a tiny clue. Make sure the ap and the text files are all in the same folder. If they get separated you will experience problems. Other than that, I’ve no idea what might be causing your trouble.
I don’t know if Steve is still lurking here or has business elsewhere. But I’ve had direct email interaction with him and he’s been very open with me about helping out with problems. If you go back through the posts on this board you can find some of his posts and send him a message. I don’t feel right about posting his email address.
Aha!
Flawless Eh!
Nice to have that confirmed.
Shall then presume it works fine for everyone else and that it’s something my end.
In that case my circumstance should be easily remedied - a friend works and lives IT and is gifted in the field. All he ever asks in return is Indian take-away. Indian food is good currency. 100% sure he’ll set me right. He’s unfailing.
Yes. I’ve got the files in the same folder and have even tried prodding one little icon with the other (highly technical).
In a few hours the USA will be waking up to images of Pluto.
Amazing times.
So this past week I followed some of your advice from the knowledgebase. I graphed out the historical prices for each of the 21 stocks I owned. I just started from 1 January and charted a weekly price. Then I marked where I bought. It was a little bit work intensive this first time but going forward it will be easy to maintain once per week.
I just wanted to say thanks. I rely a lot on electronics to do things for me and it was a very educational exercise to plot everything out. I think going forward it will help me to keep emotions in check because looking at a graph is much easier on the eyes than reading columns of numbers.
Matthew, stick with the graphs you plotted yourself. Doing it yourself gives you a whole different, hands-on and personal view of how the stock is doing and what is happening, and takes surprising little time once a week, once you have made the initial graph.
Saul
The charting application is beguiling. But, I can’t get it to run (Window’s 7). Maybe this is the same for other folk? . The application doesn’t recognise my text files; doesn’t appear to accept direct inputs for earnings and a few other things I don’t know how to describe. I think I’ve read back through most of the threads pertaining to the application and because I can’t get it to work have assumed it’s something inept happening my end.
B,
Steve here. I’m at a loss as to why the program isn’t working for you. There were problems getting it to work when I first tried putting it in a zip file, but downloading the executable file directly has seemed to work fine. Is it possible you have an anti-virus program that is preventing it from running? From your description I doubt that’s the case. I’m also sending this directly to your e-mail so feel free to reply directly to me if you want to try to resolve the problem.
Steve
(There are plans for a few improvements to this app, but I haven’t been able to work on it much lately, so no promises.)