Define Stock Market Ticker Tape

By Gilbert Stockton

The origination of the stock ticker tape name came from the fact that long ago the stock market symbols were printed out on a piece of paper from a ticker tape machine. Now this computerized unit gives information on the stock symbol, price, and volume.

Technology has came a long way in that we no longer need to print stock information for ticker tape. All of it can be sent online. The stock ticker tape machine was created in 1867 and used to take a long time so send information out to brokers and the closest offices go the information quickest. Which explains why offices were built so close to the New York Stock Exchange.

Companies choose the symbols and letters for their company that they well denote on the ticker tape. This helps to avoid confusion and gives investors the knowledge for public trading on the market.

MSN and other tv shows run the ticker tape at the bottom for investors. It is difficult to read at first but as soon as you know what companies you wish to follow becomes a lot easier.

Stocks that are on the NYSE are denoted by three letters. Stocks traded on the Nasdaq are denoted by 4 letters. Mutual funds use letters and numbers to differentiate their symbols.

"Ticker" comes from the conceptual word of "tick", which is any activity of a stock whether it be up or down. A stock market ticker symbol readout will include, in order from left to right: the unique call letters of a specific security; the volume or number of shares traded (K = 1,000, M = 1,000,000 and B = 1,000,000,000); the last bid price for that stock, which is considered its price until there is a new bid; an up- or down- arrow that indicates if the stock's price is down or up from where it started the trading day; and the change amount, or the difference in price from the previous trading day's closing price. - 23208

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Our Treasury Bonds Unraveled

By Dominiqe Barnard

The U.S. Treasury bond market has come to receive serious attention in recent trading. When Treasury bonds show action, so does the dollar. If we see a decline in prices for long-term Treasury bonds, the dollar sinks. According to a March 2009 Fed's Flow of Funds Report, there are $14.5 trillion in Treasury securities, agency securities and mortgage-backed securities outstanding.

China is the first holder of U.S. bonds and other countries heavily invest in the U.S. debt as an investment. Many economists suggest that if China stops purchasing the U.S. bonds, the economy would have increased interest rates which would make U.S. debt more enticing.

With the consequence of huge deficits and out of control government spending, the real value of U.S. Treasury securities are the focus of increased attention. China wants their assets safe and if any question of U.S. credibility would ensue, the pressure to liquidate a portion of their U.S. assets in self-survival mode may seem a likely option.

If other nations do not buy U.S. debt, the only other option is for the U.S. Treasury to buy Treasury securities and, thus, increase the money supply dramatically. In order to attract investors, rates of interest would have to rise. As what happens when the Federal Government begins to habitually buy Treasury bills, inflation will soar. In the current climate, the Fed bought over 500 billion dollars in mortgage-back securities.

During normal economic times, higher interest rates are a result of the central bank trying to ward off inflation associated with an increased money supply. Yet, there is less of a demand for Treasuries and higher interest rates to entice buyer demand is the only other option. However, this would only accelerate a declining economy deeper into a hole. Higher interest rates only place a greater burden on the population which results in more defaults on mortgage loans and higher consumer debt.

Washington's record breaking Treasury offerings to fund the deficit and the Fed buying the debt through its spinning out of dollar bills is staggering. The floodgate opened by the U.S. Treasury is pushing bond yields higher. Bill Gross, of PIMCO told Bloomberg, "The market is beginning to wonder who is going to be buying these bonds."

A nation who spends in an out-of-control way can eventually destroy itself. A famous economist believed that inflation was a disease which could destroy a society if it wasn't stopped.

China is the top holder of U.S. debt. Famous economist, Milton Friedman, said that the fate of a nation was ''inseparable from the fate of its currency''. Soaring rates of interest and inflation put an already fragile economy on the alert. Thus, the bond yields are higher as the government's deficit shows no sign of slowing. - 23208

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Hedge Funds

By Sara Ferguson

Heres the first thing you should know about hedge funds: They have no clear identity or definition. In the investment world, I run a hedge fund has the same meaning as Im a consultant in the rest of the business world. The speaker may be managing money and making millions, or she may want a socially acceptable reason for not having a real job. The person who really manages money may go about her business in any number of ways, from highly conservative investing to wildly aggressive risk taking. She may be beating the market handily, or she may be barely squeaking by.

Im not trying to say that the term hedge fund means nothing. Heres the short answer: A hedge fund is a lightly regulated investment partnership that uses a range of investment techniques and invests in a wide array of assets to generate a higher return for a given level of risk than whats expected of normal investments. In many cases, but hardly all, hedge funds are managed to generate a consistent level of return, regardless of what the market does. Before I get to the longer, more complicated explanation of hedge funds, however, it helps to know exactly what hedging is.

Hedging means reducing risk, which is what many hedge funds are designed to do. Maybe youve hedged a risky bet with a friend before by making a conservative bet on the side. But a hedge fund manager doesnt reduce risk by investing in conservative assets. Although risk is usually a function of return (the higher the risk, the higher the return), a hedge fund manager has ways to reduce risk without cutting into investment income. She can look for ways to get rid of some risks while taking on others with an expected good return, often by using sophisticated techniques.

For example, a fund manager can take stock-market risk out of the funds portfolio by selling stock index futures. Or she can increase her return from a relatively low risk investment by borrowing money, known as leveraging. If youre interested in investing in hedge funds, you need to know how the fund managers are making money.

Return is a function of risk. The challenge for the hedge fund manager is to eliminate some risk while gaining return on investments " not a simple task, which is why hedge fund managers get paid handsomely if they succeed. - 23208

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How to Invest Today asite dedicated to helping beginning investors learn the basics to the advanced of investing.

Things to Consider When Buying a Condo

By Chuck R Stewart

For individuals and even couples who are just in the beginning years of their independent lives, price issue may not be the primary concern when considering a real estate property. For the newbie couples, downsizing may even be the primary concern when choosing among the available Northern Kentucky homes in the market. This segment of home owners put convenience in the upper part of their list as far as their real property home is concerned. As in most cases where both of them are busy in their respective jobs, the traditional family home may not be practical as it would not be perfect with their lifestyles.

The Northern Kentucky condos can be the more appropriate choice. This practical choice for newly starting couples allows them to own their first real property and acquire over time their equity from this purchase. The Northern Kentucky condos cost less than a comparable single detached family home. However, if the couple chooses to go for the classier Northern Kentucky condos, there will always be the right one that will be in their price range. In buying condos, one should note that the amenities and the area are the major determinants in their prices. One can also have the opportunity to choose the most appropriate condo based on location. Developers have several condo projects that are located within the city, in the beach fronts and upscale neighborhoods. This selection of areas will meet whatever reasons you may have in buying a condo.

Another great feature of residential condos is the reliable and sufficient security. These modern residential edifices, particularly the luxurious types, are located in secure, gated and exclusive development sites. This is an important element for aged residents and those who are all by themselves.

The nature of ownership of a condo is something very special. Condo owners can lay their claim to the spaces within the confines of the four corners of the condo shell or unit. The halls, walkways, parking area, recreation rooms and gyms are classified as areas to be used by all. These areas are considered collective properties owned by all the condo residents and the maintenance and upkeep is associated with all owners.

There are now numerous varieties of Northern Kentucky condos. You can have a cluster of condo units that are adjoined to your own condo unit either on the side, below or on top of each unit. There are also newer condo complexes where the construction is designed following a town homes design. These condo complexes are either single level or multi-level condo projects where one can possibly share one or more common walls with fellow unit owners.

There are related and added costs that should be considered in the equation when you are assessing the prospects of owning a condo home. Condo residents are required to provide monthly dues for the required maintenance and upkeep of the condo complex. On top of the overhead expenses in the management of the entire complex, condo residents must also share from among themselves for the repair and upgrade of the entire complex.

If you are looking for a residential property with the perks of modern amenities, then the condo option is the best for you as an individual or as newbie couple. - 23208

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Chuck R. Stewart recently spent time looking into buying a home on the Ohio River so he worked closely with an expert in Northern Kentucky homes. He also would consider taking a look at some Northern Kentucky condos.

Currency Trading Pros Show You How To Make Money Trading Forex Online

By Richard Busbridge

In this guide we thought we could examine the world of forex trading. There's plenty of individuals that have heard about forex and wonder if they can earn some money, so hopefully this article helps.

Because you can trade forex directly from your computer, there's a great deal more people making cash with forex trading.

As I'm sure you are aware of, currencies will change in price throughout the day. A currency trader needs to to make predicitions on the moves in price in order to know when they should purchase or get rid of a currency.

What is it that causes a currency to shift in price? There are plenty of reasons, but let's quickly look at a couple of the major reasons.

One of the largest elements in defining exchange rates is interest rates. If rates increase in a country this will cause more outsiders to make investments in that country. This new investment leads to an increased demand for that money and it rises in value. There's a great deal of cash that can be made if you can anticipate when interest rates will jump in a certain country.

Current commodity prices will also have a tremendous impact on certain currencies. For example, Canada is an exporter of oil and other natural resources. If oil prices increase, this causes a bigger demand for Canadian currency as more individuals require the currency to finance the purchase. If oil prices increase, it is extremely likely that the Canadian currency will appreciatein tandem.

My strongest advice for individuals wishing to be involved in currency trading is to obtain a computer currency trading software. There are now pieces of software that have been programmed to analyze the forex markets based on market information in order to pick out trading opportunities. There are plenty of currency traders make use of only these kinds of softwares to earn their income, however I personally like to utilize these programs in combination with trades based on my own ideas.

Currency trading is not only thrilling, but there is a great deal of money that can be made when you use the proper tools. - 23208

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Click Here to discover how everyday people who are earning money trading forex online. You can also read reviews on the most popular Forex Robots.