Computer Investing Products
by CI Staff
Realized
Realized is a new Web application for tracking cost basis in stocks and managing transactions with tax consequences in mind. Similar to GainsKeeper, this stock portfolio management tool is in a preview phase where it is free for anyone with an Internet connection and Web browser.
To set up a portfolio, you first set up the name of the owner, then create a portfolio by entering an identifier name, choosing your broker (optional), and specifying whether the portfolio is a taxable account and whether you want to use specific lot identification or the default first-in, first-out FIFO method.
Realized creates tax lots for each stock and mutual fund you add to a portfolio. It also matches each sale with a tax lot if you are using the FIFO method. In the event of a stock split or corporate reorganization, the site automatically adjusts your affected lots.
If you set up multiple portfolios for multiple brokerage accounts, the site can display your long- and short-term gains across all portfolios. It will also alert you if a transaction in one portfolio would trigger the wash-sale rule because of holdings in another of your portfolios. The site can generate a Schedule D at any time.
You can import your trade history from multiple brokerage accounts or enter trades manually. Importing is done by saving your trade history as a .csv (comma-separated values) file, so no broker account numbers are involved. The site has an error-handling tool to address any inconsistencies in imported data. If you made several trades of a stock at one price, the system will combine the trades if you like.
The site identifies your holdings with the largest unrealized losses. A tax lot harvesting tool helps you recognize how you can sell losses to offset taxable gains elsewhere.
Support includes discussion forums for posting questions that are addressed by site administrators.
System Requirements: Internet connection and Web browser
Price: free for limited preview period (unspecified)
New Forge Technologies
www.realized-app.com
StockCharts.com
StockCharts.com was named an Editor’s Choice in CI’s last comparison of technical analysis and charting websites (March/April 2009 Comparison) for its robust charting and scanning capabilities and its rich collection of educational content. It offers multiple levels of service at subscriptions ranging from free to $34.90 per month.
Chart types offered include line, bar, equivolume, candlestick, and point & figure charting. Over 40 technical indicators and line studies are available; parameters and timeframe can be modified by users at any level of service. However, only subscribers can save charts. Data is displayed on an end-of-day or weekly basis for users of free charts; subscribers can chart intraday data.
The stock scans feature of the site allows users to see a list of stocks meeting specific technical formulas. The universe includes stocks traded on the NASDAQ, NYSE, Amex and Canadian exchanges, as well as mutual funds. Predefined scans are offered to non-paying users, while subscribers have varying levels of ability to create and save scans.
The site’s educational content covers the basics of charting and technical analysis, plus commentary from technician John Murphy. New content recently added includes articles on the Parabolic SAR, Ichimoku Clouds, and the High-Low index, along with an update to the McClellan oscillator explanation.
New tools have also recently been added to StockCharts.com. One is technician Alexander Elder’s impulse system, which is a method of coloring open/high/low/close bars to provide possible trading signals. An explanation of the system is included. A new Inspector tool on charts lets you hover over any data point with your mouse to see the details on the underlying data. Sector and industry classifications are now shown on scan results. Auto-refresh has been added to charts using the Basic service. And the new Share feature provides a one-click method to tweet charts or post charts to Facebook.
System Requirements: Internet connection and Web browser
Price: free (end-of-day charting and predefined scans); $14.95, Basic (intraday charting plus chart storage); $24.95, Extra! (custom scans); $34.90 for ExtraRT! (real-time data).
StockCharts.com, Inc.
11241 Willows Road, Suite 140
Redmond, WA 98052
(425) 881-2606
support@stockcharts.com
www.stockcharts.com
ValueCruncher
ValueCruncher is an interactive website for stock valuation. A discounted cash flow model is used as the basis of the valuations, and consensus estimates and other data are factored in.
Users are given a base valuation by ValueCruncher, which they can modify. Users can also access and modify valuations that have been created by other users.
The home page shows the most popular stocks and the percent undervalued or overvalued based on ValueCruncher’s base valuation.
You can browse for stocks by index, market, and industry. The indexes offered are the S&P 500, FTSE 350 (UK), S&P ASX 200 (Australia), S&P TSX Composite (Canada) and NZX 50 (New Zealand). Markets include the New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ, and five foreign exchanges. The industry list covers basic materials, consumer goods & services, energy, financials, healthcare, industrials, technology, telecommunications services, and utilities. Choosing one of these brings up a list of the component stocks with their base valuations and percent overvalued or undervalued.
To bring up a stock’s valuation and associated statistics, you can type the company name in the search box or choose a company name from the most popular list or from one of the browsing lists. The current default screen when a company is chosen is a new feature called comparison analysis, which shows you the stock’s enterprise value to earnings compared to four other similar companies. You can substitute these comparison stocks for any company in their database, which covers over 9,000 stocks.
From here, the comparison analysis can be changed to the discounted cash flow analysis. This analysis shows revenue, profitability, capital expenditure and depreciation projections, along with the discounted cash flow calculation. At the bottom of this page, you can see a list of all past valuations calculated by ValueCruncher as well as by other users. The list gives the time and date of the valuation, the valuation price, and the margin undervalued or overvalued for each valuation.
Blog posts are only made once a month, but go into in-depth analysis.
System Requirements: Internet connection and Web browser
Price: $49 per year; $199 for lifetime access
ValueCruncher
feedback@valuecruncher.com
www.valuecruncher.com
AmiBroker 5.30
AmiBroker is a technical analysis software program that offers charting as well as system design, testing, and validation.
Line, bar, and candlestick charts can be drawn. The charting function includes object-oriented drawing tools, drag-and-drop indicators, graphics overlays and user-defined layers. Charts can be linked with colors and “floated” for a multiple monitor effect.
AmiBroker is unique in its extensive formula creation language that gives you access to all features of the program at a code level. However, a formula wizard is also offered where you can use plain English to create formulas. To help beginners, the user’s manual contains sample formulas that can be copied, and the website offers an archive of formulas developed over the last several years for Technical Analysis of Stocks & Commodities magazine.
For building trading systems, the program offers extensive screening and backtesting capabilities. Portfolio optimization and system validation functions are also offered.
AmiQuote is used for downloading and importing quotes ($65 if purchased separately). Compatible data vendors and formats include: eSignal, myTrack, IQFeed, MarketCast, QuoteTracker, Qcharts, Interactive Brokers, Yahoo! Finance, MS Money, Google Finance, Quotes Plus, TC2000, MetaStock, and FastTrack. Loaded symbols can be organized into categories. Data can be exported as CSV text.
The Standard Edition of AmiBroker offers end-of-day and intraday charting, backtesting and screening. The Professional Edition of AmiBroker offers real-time backtesting and screening, as well as unlimited symbols for streaming real-time quote display.
Comprehensive support for the program is provided by the user’s manual, formula language library, website blogs that give tips and explain changes, and video tutorials. Technical support is also available through e-mail. Users are encouraged to submit ideas and suggestions for new program features.
System Requirements: Windows 95, 98, NT, Me, 2000, XP, Vista (32- & 64-bit Windows), Windows 7
Price: $199, Standard; $279, Professional; $409, Ultimate Pack Pro (one year of software updates, data, & formula language wizard); 30-day free trial
AmiBroker
support@amibroker.com
www.amibroker.com
Quicktakes
New Online Magazine for Futures Traders
www.managedfuturestodaymag.com
Managed Futures Today is a new digital magazine devoted to professional and individual investors interested in investing in managed futures as part of a diversified long-term investment portfolio. Published quarterly, each issue covers trading strategies, risk management, performance, market and industry news, and commentary. The magazine is free and can be read online, downloaded, or printed out.
Eurex Launches Forum for Derivatives
The international derivatives exchange Eurex has opened a forum for the exchange of ideas on financial markets and derivatives. The site, called Eurex Innovate, has two sections: one for submitting suggestions, which are analyzed by other contributors and Eurex specialists; and the other for sharing information about products, trading strategies and trends in the financial markets. Use of the site is free with registration.
Topographer Shows Stock Value in All Markets
OCE Interactive is now offering Market Topographer, an online platform for valuation of U.S. stocks. The proprietary earnings-based model developed over several years through collaboration between an investment banker and statistics professor attempts to explain valuation differences across stocks. The site shows how the market is rewarding and penalizing company valuations at any point in time and can help investors judge whether a stock is fairly priced. Users can also perform valuation simulations on a stock by substituting market conditions from the past. Currently, the site is free for registered users.
New Tools Added to Bollinger Bands Website
www.bollingeronbollingerbands.com
Owned by Bollinger Capital Management, the Bollinger on Bollinger Bands website is built on John Bollinger’s technical investment tools and analytical techniques. The site was recently upgraded to reflect the well-known technician’s most current work. Three new Bollinger Band tools have been introduced and three new technical indicators from Jim Alphier. New chart overlays are also now available, including Bollinger Envelopes, a variation on Bollinger Bands. Free areas of the site include basic charts and daily group and sector data. Subscribers pay $25/month for full access; free 30-day trial.
VantagePoint Forecasting Software Upgraded
Market Technologies has recently released version 8.2 of its VantagePoint software, a market forecasting tool for traders that combines intermarket analysis with neural network pattern recognition. New features include ProfitCalc, which takes user-defined market and timeframes for a trade and calculates potential profit or loss, and an updated scan tool. The site’s other enhancements were designed to increase responsiveness of the program and improve overall usability. The price of the software for stocks and ETF analysis starts at $2,900.
NASDAQ OMX Offers Portfolio Manager App
www.apple.com/ipad/apps-for-ipad
The NASAQ OMX, a global exchange, announced availability of a new portfolio manager app for iPad, called QFolio HD. Portfolios and watchlists can be set up that show real-time stock price data for U.S., Nordic and Baltic stocks. The app includes a flashing price screen to highlight price movements and a chart overlay. Video and tweet posting capabilities are also available. The app is free and can be downloaded at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/qfolio-hd-nasdaq-omx-portfolio/id364265462?mt=8.
Upgrade to Fund Manager Software
Beiley Software has released version 10.7 of its Fund Manager software. In addition to bug fixes, the upgrade includes new import/export commands for security properties, an improved import function, and an option to exclude account fees in yield calculations. The Personal version of the software, offering basic portfolio management tools and performance reports for individual investors, costs $69; for current users the cost is $29 to upgrade to version 10.7.
FreeStockCharts.com Expands Securities
FreeStockCharts.com, offered by Worden Brothers, now covers pink sheet stocks, bulletin board stocks, and mutual funds, in addition to stocks, exchange-traded funds ETFs, indexes, and forex (foreign exchange). The site offers charting, scanning, and portfolio tracking on a free, streaming “real-time” basis without exchange fees. Line, bar, and candlestick charts can be plotted and over 60 customizable indicators are available. Registered users can save chart layouts for future use, follow built-in watchlists, and create scans using over 80 technical and fundamental factors without charge. For $30 a month, the Gold Service provides expanded scanning capabilities.