Yahoo! Finance’s MarketDash for iPad

Yahoo! Finance is one of the most popular investment and finance websites among individual investors. However, until recently, they did not have a presence in the mobile device arena. That changed in February when MarketDash for iPad was launched. This free app allows you to track your favorite stocks, as well as view charts and news.

Watchlists

The cornerstone of the app is watchlists of stocks, mutual funds, ETFs and market indexes you are interested in. The app syncs with the watchlists you create—either on your desktop or with MarketDash—saving you from having to create them in multiple places. From within the MarketDash app, you can log into your Yahoo! account and import portfolios and watchlists you have created. Once you have done that, you can view the listings at the top of the app.

Market Data

Tapping on a ticker from a watchlist will bring up summary data at the bottom of the MarketDash app. Here you will find the last quote, which is delayed during market hours, along with the point and percentage change for the latest trading session. For indexes, stocks and ETFs you are also given the open, previous close, high and low prices for the day, the 52-week high and low prices, and the trading volume for the current trading session. For mutual funds, the data includes the previous closing price, net assets, the year-to-date return and the yield.

Interactive Charts

In the summary area, there is a thumbnail chart of the active symbol. You can choose a variety of time periods—from one day all the way back to 1987 (when the data is available). You can pinch and expand this chart as well as scroll. Tapping the expand button will open a full-page chart for easier viewing. Here you can also add market indexes and additional tickers for comparison.

Yahoo! Finance’s MarketDash

Those looking for dynamic charting will be disappointed. MarketDash only offers line charts, and there are no technical indicators or line studies for analysis.

News Headlines

MarketDash provides up-to-the-minute news items for the tickers in your watchlists. Content comes from a variety of sources, including The Wall Street Journal Online, MarketWatch, Forbes.com, CNBC and TheStreet.com.

Overall

The Yahoo! MarketDash app is a solid option for those looking to keep tabs of their portfolios while away from their desktop, especially for those who have created a number of portfolios and watchlists with Yahoo! Finance. Ideally, the charting could be more robust, but overall this is an app that I will be keeping on my iPad.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/marketdash/id418631860?mt=8