You do not need to pay for fundamental data.
A lot is available free from your broker and financial
websites. But if you are willing to pay a subscription,
you can obtain the most valuable information you
need in a single integrated source, which can
save you time. In mid-2006, the London Stock Exchange
(www.londonstockexchange.com) introduced a new
service, Company Report, which, for £10,
gives you a report providing fundamental data,
directors’ dealings, broker estimates and
similar on a company, giving insight about its
past performance and future prospects.
Investment software should give you access to
company statistics and prices, including highs
and lows, and charts as well as news flow. It
should enable you to set stop losses and alert
you when these are reached, as well as calculate
your tax liability. You should be able to create
a number of portfolios simultaneously, and to
liaise with other users.
To find the software that is right for you, invite
the promoter to send you samples or to provide
a live demo. Check views on the online bulletin
boards. For investors with limited experience,
Sharescope software (www. sharescope.co.uk) is
an excellent choice. Real-time prices provision
sends up the subscription prices. So do some less
widely used features. Try to pay only for what
you need.
Imaginative presentation can help you to grasp
the meaning of statistics more quickly and clearly.
Many investors value the quarterly updated book
or CD ROM provided by Company REFS (Really Essential
Financial Statistics) (www.company-refs.co.uk).
This product conveys the key messages from a wide
range of statistics through lunar symbols. The
more black there is as a slice of a moon, the
better the statistic. A very low P/E ratio is
welcome and will attract a moon covered in black,
but a very low return on capital will have it
covered in white. Jim Slater was a driving force
in developing this product.
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