Business Assistant/Business Assistant.iso/stock/ibmdisk5/smentry3.hlp

Text File | 1992-02-08 | 12KB | 253 lines

DESCRIPTION OF THE HISTORICAL DATA ENTRY SCREEN   SM3.02    PAGE 1 OF 11

To enter or import historical volume and price data, go to the Stock
Select screen by typing S from the Master Menu.  Then select the secur-
ity you want and press E.

This screen is for entering HISTORICAL data for many dates, but for just
the selected security.  To enter CURRENT prices for a single date, but
for all securities, press D or W from the Master Menu.

To select a date for entering data - or just to "browse" through the
information - use the up- and down-arrow, PgUp, PgDn, Home and End keys.
The display will scroll automatically as needed.

If this security is being updated weekly, all the dates on the left side
of the screen will fall on Fridays.  NOTE: If you see WEEKLY data and
want DAILY data instead - or vice versa (and if both are available) -
press Esc to EXIT to the Stock Select screen, press the Tab key once and
press E again.

To add or delete a security, or to enter dividends, earnings, price
goals, etc., press Esc to go back to the Stock Select screen.

DESCRIPTION OF THE HISTORICAL DATA ENTRY SCREEN             PAGE 2 OF 11

Following are descriptions of the available menu functions:

E = ENTER volume and prices (from the keyboard) for the selected date.
    This function is used mainly for initial data entry for a new secur-
    ity that has just been added to the system, or it can be used to
    correct errors.  If this is a daily-updated chart, the program will
    ask if the selected date is a holiday.  After any change is made to
    a closing price, all moving averages are automatically re-computed
    and re-displayed.

    The program will ask for volume and high, low and closing prices in
    turn.  For a mutual fund, you can bypass entry of volume and high
    and low prices by pressing the Enter key by itself twice; then enter
    the net asset value.  Fractional entry of prices is permitted; a
    space must be left between the whole number and the fraction.
    For example:  2 1/32  98 13/16

    If you press the Esc key before all of the data has been entered for
    the selected date, the ENTER function will be cancelled and all of
    the original values for that date will be restored.

DESCRIPTION OF THE HISTORICAL DATA ENTRY SCREEN             PAGE 3 OF 11

U = manual UPDATE of volume and prices for the NEXT date, which is shown
    in the menu at the bottom of the screen.  The new date will replace
    the earliest previously existing date.  The new date is computed by
    the program.  If data for this security is being updated weekly, the
    new date will always fall on a Friday.  If data is being updated
    daily, the program will ask if the new date is a holiday.  Weekend
    days are automatically skipped.  To cancel, press Esc at any time.

    The program will ask for volume and high, low and closing prices in
    turn.  For a mutual fund, you can bypass entry of volume and high
    and low prices by pressing the Enter key twice; then enter the net
    asset value.  Fractional entry such as 2 11/16 is acceptable.

    The UPDATE function works in the same way regardless of where the
    selector block is at the time the "U" key is pressed.  After the
    data has been entered, the screen will show the most current volume
    and price data, along with newly updated moving averages, P/E ratio,
    yield and annualized potential return.  The caption N/A means Not
    Available or Not Applicable.


DESCRIPTION OF THE HISTORICAL DATA ENTRY SCREEN             PAGE 4 OF 11

M = set or change any or all of the three MOVING average periods (the
    numbers of days or weeks included in each moving average calcula-
    tion).  The program will ask for each period in turn.  Entry of a
    non-zero value causes the program to begin calculating and maintain-
    ing the corresponding moving averages.  The first, second and third
    moving averages correspond, respectively, to the rightmost three
    column positions on the Data Entry screen.

    NOTE: This action by itself does not cause moving average lines to
    be DISPLAYED on the graphs.  One or more moving averages must be
    SELECTED from the Graphics Display Option screen, before they can
    be displayed.  It's a two-step process.

    Moving average periods remain set until they are changed again, and
    the moving averages themselves are stored on disk.  Therefore as a
    price history file is updated, the moving average lines will grad-
    ually fill in towards the left on the bar charts.  You don't have to
    use all three of the moving averages - you can use any one or any
    two of them.  If a moving average is not wanted, set its period to
    zero.

DESCRIPTION OF THE HISTORICAL DATA ENTRY SCREEN             PAGE 5 OF 11

    Moving averages are calculated only when there is enough contiguous
    data, to prevent erroneous results.  Therefore, date entries that
    have data missing will cause gaps in the moving average displays.
    An exception to this rule (only for a daily-updated security) is a
    date that is flagged as a holiday.

    Normally the first moving average should be short-term, the second
    one should be intermediate-term and the third should be long-term.
    However, the program does not require any specific relationship.
    Experimentation is the best teacher in this matter.











DESCRIPTION OF THE HISTORICAL DATA ENTRY SCREEN             PAGE 6 OF 11

S = STOCK SPLIT or stock dividend.  This function applies a stock split
    or a stock dividend to all date entries BEFORE the selected entry.
    The program assumes that post-split data has already been entered
    for the selected date.

D = DISTRIBUTION.  This function applies a capital gain distribution
    (normally for a mutual fund or utility stock) to all date entries
    BEFORE the selected entry.  The program assumes that post-distribu-
    tion data has already been entered for the selected date.

In both the SPLIT and DISTRIBUTION functions a ratio is computed and
volume, prices and moving averages are automatically adjusted.  Adjust-
ment of earnings, dividends, price goals and buy/sell targets are
optional, in case the correct values have already been entered.

In the STOCK SPLIT function you enter the ratio directly, as in 3-for-2.
In the DISTRIBUTION function, the ratio is computed by the program from
the dollar amount of the distribution and the net asset value just prior
to the distribution.  Otherwise, both of these functions perform the
same task.

DESCRIPTION OF THE HISTORICAL DATA ENTRY SCREEN             PAGE 7 OF 11

G = draw a GRAPH for the selected stock.  IMPORTANT: See Chapter 1 for
    hardware and software requirements.

    If the computer screen goes blank and the machine appears to "hang
    up", wait a few seconds and then press the Esc key.  You should see
    the Stock Select screen.  Are you using a "monographics" adapter?
    See Chapter 1 for special requirements.

O = set OPTIONS for graphic display.  This is where you select what you
    want to have displayed and which moving averages you want to plot.
    This screen has its own HELP function and user manual chapter for
    more information.

Esc or X=EXIT back to the Stock Select screen.  You must go back to the
    Stock Select screen to add or delete a security or to make changes
    to dividends, earnings, price goals, etc.  All volume, price and
    moving average data are automatically saved on disk, if any changes
    have been made.



DESCRIPTION OF THE HISTORICAL DATA ENTRY SCREEN             PAGE 8 OF 11

I = IMPORT historical data from an external ASCII file.  This function
    is normally used to fill in the price history file for a security
    that has just been added to the system.  ONLY ONE security can be
    updated at a time using this method.

    NOTE: If you want to update CURRENT prices for all securities (for
    just one date), press D or W from the Master Menu.

    Here's how the h