
The numbers on the stock exchange for a given company's stock reflect the price of a single share of stock in that company. Typically, the last price that a stock traded at is the number reported to the general public.
What does the stock market index tell us?
Stock market index is a reflection of country economy, political stability, confidence of investors and growth of the industry in all sectors. If Index is growing (ignore daily ups / down) on yearly basis at a rate of 10% to 30%, it shows a steady and hopeful economy. Just compare this with Bank Interest in savings / fixed bank receipts.
What factors determine the price of stocks?
What Factors Determine the Price of Stocks?
- Earnings. Publicly traded companies typically report earnings about three weeks after each quarter end. ...
- Economy. The economic factors that drive stock prices include interest rates, unemployment and currency fluctuations.
- Expectations. Stock markets tend to look ahead six months or more. ...
- Emotion. ...
What is the stock market telling us?
Value stocks have outperformed by a wide margin since the recent market declines began. Most sectors are posting actual earnings above estimates at the end of the quarter. The year-over-year growth rate can't be shown for the energy sector since it had losses in the same quarter a year ago.
What is true about the stock market?
The stock market is one of the most vital components of a free-market economy. It allows companies to raise money by offering stock shares and corporate bonds. It lets common investors participate...

What do numbers on the stock market mean?
What Do the Numbers on the Stock Exchange Mean? Numbers on a stock exchange illustrate the health of individual stocks and the entire stock market at a glance. Numbers tell whether wealth was created or destroyed in a given trading session and how eager investors were to trade shares.
What is stock price?
A stock price is the amount an investor must pay to purchase each share. The first trading value assigned to a stock is set before its initial public offering. It is based on the price of similar companies in the stock market and ...
What does volume mean in stock?
Volume represents the number of shares that exchange hands in a trading session. If, for example, the volume on Apple's stock is 25 million, this means that 25 million Apple shares have been bought and sold in the most recent trading session, according to Nasdaq. Abnormal volume patterns may indicate a company is on the brink of an important event.
Is the S&P 500 a composite?
The S&P 500 is structured similarly except its composite value is based on 500 companies across leading industries. Once a stock is added to an index, it can be replaced if it does not maintain certain criteria. Advertisement.
Stock Quote Information
Using the example above on the left-hand side, assume we get a stock quote for MEOW Corp. and we see a bid of $13.62 (x3,000), and an ask of $13.68 (x500).
Depth and Liquidity
Now consider the figure above on the right-hand side. This shows MEOW's order book, also known as a Level 2 quote .
Other Considerations
If these orders are not carried out during the trading day, then they may be carried over into the next trading day provided that they are not day orders. If these bid and ask orders are day orders, then they will be canceled at the end of the trading day if they are not filled.
What does it mean when a stock loses points?
So when you hear that a stock has lost or gained X number of points, it is the same as saying the stock has lost or gained X number of dollars. Using points to describe share price gains, or declines, is generally done to describe short-term results, such as for the day or week.
What does it mean when the dollar is up 50 basis points?
One basis point is equal to 1/100th of a percent, so if someone says the dollar is up 50 basis points, that means it is up 0.5% .
