Help & How To Scottrader Streaming Quotes Research from Scottrader Charting with Scottrader
Research from Scottrader
Scottrader provides you with access to live stock charts and charting tools to help you spot, analyze and react to trends in the market. You can monitor up to five charts at one time. Using the print icon in the upper right corner of the Chart window, you can print your charts, including any trend lines, indicators or other modifications you have made. To save ink, use the Configure button located in the top right corner of your Chart window to select a white background for your chart.
To get started, click the Chart button in the Scottrader Quote Grid window.
Creating a Chart
Enter Symbol: Once you have opened a chart window, input a symbol in the Enter Symbol box and hit Enter. To choose a symbol currently displaying in the Quote Grid window, you can either highlight that symbol before clicking the Chart button or select the symbol from the Enter Symbol drop-down box.
Frequency: Choose the frequency you want to see displayed using the Frequency drop-down box. The frequency of your chart refers to the intervals at which performance data is recorded. For example, if you choose a frequency of 30 minutes, you will see a new data marker for the security every 30 minutes. Frequency levels range from one second to every month. Expanding and contracting the frequency displayed on your chart can help you isolate individual events or view overall trends for a security.
Time Period: Set a time period for your chart. Depending on the frequency you chose, you will be able to view the corresponding time periods demonstrated below:
Like chart frequency, the time period of your chart can be used to help you isolate individual events or view overall trends for a stock.
Chart Style: Select a display style for your chart using the Chart Style drop-down box. You can view open-high-low-close charts, candlestick, close line charts or mountain charts. Depending on the chart style you select, you may see color identifiers on your chart.
OHLC charting uses the following color codes:
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Green Bar - bar close is greater than the previous bar close
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Red Bar - bar close is less than the previous bar close
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Gray Bar - bar close is equal to the previous bar close
Candlestick charting uses the color codes listed above and also includes:
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Filled Bar - bar close is less than the bar open
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Hollow Bar - bar close is greater than the bar open
Note: Your chart will save any changes that you've made throughout your current Scottrader session. Once you close Scottrader, any changes you have made will be erased unless you have chosen to save the chart as default.
Standard Chart Features
All chart windows will display the security's open, high, low, close and volume at the top of the charted data. The current trading price of the security being viewed will be located in a gray box to the right of the chart, and will adjust its location according to the security's high and low for the day. The image below shows XYZ Imaginary Corporation currently trading at $27.58 per share.
You can view the historical trading price of any security by moving your mouse over the chart screen. When your mouse becomes visible on the chart screen, X and Y axes will appear and the point of origin will adjust to follow your mouse. The bottom of the Y axis will adjust to show the time corresponding to the current location of the point of origin, and the X axis will adjust to show you the trading price at that time. The image below shows XYZ Imaginary Corporation trading at $487.70, at 9:45 on 8/12.
Notice that historical trading prices appear in a white box, while the current trading price box is still shaded with gray. Change the frequency and time period displayed on your chart to adjust the historical trading price information available to you from the Chart window.
To view or remove dividends, splits, the crosshair or day break lines from your chart, right-click on the chart or click the Configure link and use the checkboxes provided to select your preferences. To see additional information for a dividend or split, hover your mouse over the dividend or split icon on your chart.
Use the Configure link in the upper right corner of the Chart window to change the visual settings of your chart.
Technical Indicators
Technical analysis, the study of price movements and trends, is a research technique that seeks to interpret a series of data points, or technical indicators, plotted on a price chart. The data points are formed using price or price and volume statistics for a particular security inside a specified time period.
Technical indicators are tools designed to establish visual patters that can potentially make confusing price data easier to understand and interpret. With Scottrader, you can chart three upper indicators and three lower indicators at a time.
Charting Technical Indicators
1. Click the Indicators button in the top right corner of the Chart window.
2. Select upper indicators from the three drop-down boxes provided. Adjust any criteria offered to match your charting preferences. View Graphic 
Upper indicators will be plotted in the Chart window.
3. Select lower indicators from the three drop-down boxes provided. Adjust any criteria offered to match your charting preferences. Lower indicators will appear below the Chart window.
Removing Technical Indicators
Scottrader offers easy one-click removal of any technical indicator. To remove an upper indicator, click the X next to the indicator at the top of the main chart. To remove a lower indicator, click the X corresponding to the charted lower indicator you want removed.
Note: Your chart will save any changes that you've made throughout your current Scottrader session. Once you close Scottrader, any changes you have made will be erased unless you have chosen to save the chart as default.
Trend Spotting with Charts
In addition to utilizing technical indicators, Scottrader allows you to draw your own trend lines in order to track prices. Charting with trend lines can potentially help you determine the reliability of certain trends and the expected price performance of stocks.
Chart Trend Lines in Scottrader
All trend lines drawn in Scottrader are specific to the window in which they were drawn and will only appear on that chart. To draw a trend line:
1. Click the Chart button at the top of the Quote Grid window.
2. At the bottom of the Chart window, click the Draw Trend radio button.
3. Click your mouse on the point at which you want the trend line to start and drag the mouse to the ending point of your trend. Release your mouse.
Growing Trend Lines in Scottrader
Scottrader allows you to create trend lines that will grow as your chart is updated to include new trades. To create a growing trend line:
1. Click the Chart button at the top of the Quote Grid window.
2. At the bottom of the Chart window, click the Draw Trend radio button.
3. Click your mouse on the point at which you want the trend line to start and use your mouse to drag the trend line to the right edge of the chart. Once the trend line connects with the right chart edge, a Continue Trendline message will appear.
4. Release your mouse. Unless you select to remove it, the trend line will continue to grow until you close your Scottrader session.
Note: Uptrends will be indicated by a green trend line. Downtrends will be indicated by a red trend line.
Clear Your Trend Lines
To remove the trend lines from your chart, click Clear Trends in the upper right corner of the Chart window.
Note: Your chart will save any changes that you've made throughout your current Scottrader session. Once you close Scottrader, any changes you have made will be erased unless you have chosen to save the chart as default.
To place a trade from the Chart window, click Quick Trade.
Use the Linker Tool to connect the Chart window to other windows throughout Scottrader.
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