Monster Media 1993 #2/Image.iso/finance/stockana.zip/INSTALL.EXE/STOCK/STOCK.DOC

Text File | 1993-06-20 | 77KB | 2,465 lines

                             The Stock Analyst


                               Version 1.00

                         Release date: 20 June 1993



                               Users Manual
                               ============












                             _______
                        ____|__     |                (R)
                     --|       |    |-------------------
                       |   ____|__  |  Association of
                       |  |       |_|  Shareware
                       |__|   o   |    Professionals
                     -----|   |   |---------------------
                          |___|___|    MEMBER












                          COPYRIGHT NOTICES
                          -----------------

Copyright (c) 1993 by Visionary Software, all rights reserved.

Self-extracting compression - LHA version 2.13.  Copyright (c) Haruyasu
Yoshizaki, 1988-91.


This manual and the computer program for which it is written is
copyrighted.  You may not modify, translate, convert to another
programming language, decompile, or disassemble the software for any
purpose.





                              DISCLAIMER
                              ----------

VISIONARY SOFTWARE DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES RELATING TO THIS SOFTWARE,
WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND
ALL SUCH WARRANTIES ARE EXPRESSLY AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMED. NEITHER
VISIONARY SOFTWARE NOR ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CREATION,
PRODUCTION, OR DELIVERY OF THIS SOFTWARE SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT,
CONSEQUENTIAL, OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY
TO USE SUCH SOFTWARE EVEN IF VISIONARY SOFTWARE HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE
POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES OR CLAIMS. IN NO EVENT SHALL VISIONARY
SOFTWARE'S LIABILITY FOR ANY DAMAGES EVER EXCEED THE PRICE PAID FOR THE
LICENCE TO USE THE SOFTWARE, REGARDLESS OF THE FORM OF THE CLAIM.  THE
PERSON USING THE SOFTWARE BEARS ALL RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE
OF THE SOFTWARE.






















                            TABLE OF CONTENTS
                            -----------------

1.   ABOUT SHAREWARE ..................................................  1
     1.1   Distributing the program ...................................  1
     1.2   Why should I register? .....................................  2
     1.3   How to register ............................................  2
     1.4   Technical assistance .......................................  3
     1.5   Ombudsman statement ........................................  3

2.   INTRODUCTION .....................................................  4
     2.1   Caution ....................................................  4

3.   SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS ..............................................  5
     3.1   What files you should have .................................  5
     3.2   Files that will be created .................................  6

4.   RUNNING THE PROGRAM ..............................................  7
     4.1   Hard disk or single floppy drive ...........................  7
     4.2   Two floppy disk drives .....................................  8

5.   NAVIGATING AROUND THE PROGRAM ....................................  9
     5.1   Menu Bar and Menus .........................................  9
     5.2   Shortcuts .................................................. 10
     5.3   Dialog Boxes ............................................... 10
           5.3.1   Radio Buttons ...................................... 10
           5.3.2   Input Boxes ........................................ 11
           5.3.3   List Boxes ......................................... 11
     5.4   Help ....................................................... 12

6.   ≡ MENU (SYSTEM MENU) ............................................. 13
     6.1   About ...................................................... 13
     6.2   Colours (or Colors, depending on the country selected) ..... 13
     6.3   System Date ................................................ 14
     6.4   Sort Order ................................................. 14
     6.5   Register ................................................... 14
     6.6   DOS Shell .................................................. 14
     6.7   Exit ....................................................... 14

7.   STOCKS MENU ...................................................... 15
     7.1   Add Stock .................................................. 15
     7.2   Delete Stock ............................................... 15
     7.3   Add New Stock Prices ....................................... 15
     7.4   Delete Stock Prices ........................................ 16
     7.5   Update Market Index ........................................ 16

8.   REPORTS MENU ..................................................... 17
     8.1   Stock History .............................................. 17
     8.2   Buy/Sell Analysis .......................................... 17







9.   CHARTS MENU ...................................................... 19
     9.1   Line Chart ................................................. 19
     9.2   Bar Chart .................................................. 19
     9.3   Point and Figure Chart ..................................... 20

10.  PROGRAM AND DATA FILE MANAGEMENT ................................. 21
     10.1  Where should it all be kept ................................ 21
           10.1.1  Using a hard disk or single floppy ................. 21
           10.1.2  Using two floppy disks ............................. 21
     10.2  How much disk space you will need .......................... 21
     10.3  Warning on file deletion ................................... 22

11.  GETTING THE BEST PERFORMANCE ..................................... 23
     11.1  Memory management .......................................... 23
     11.2  Disk management ............................................ 24
           11.2.1  Hard disk vs floppy disk(s) ........................ 24
           11.2.2  Disk cache ......................................... 24

12.  GUARANTEE ........................................................ 25

APPENDIX A
     Error Messages ................................................... 26

APPENDIX B
     Glossary of Sharemarket Terms .................................... 32































1   ABOUT SHAREWARE
-------------------

This program is distributed as Shareware, and as such, you have been
granted a limited licence to copy and use the software for a period of 30
days for evaluation purposes only.  Shareware is NOT free software, it is
simply a "try before you buy" method of distribution.

This program is copyrighted and if you do continue to use this program
after the evaluation period, you must register.  Persons that continue to
use this program after the evaluation period has expired are committing an
offence and are open to prosecution.

Shareware is not inferior software, it is simply a marketing method that
is used to reduce costs for both author and user alike.  By eliminating
the requirement for fancy packaging, costly advertising campaigns and
expensive distribution methods, we are able to bring this package to you
at a fraction of the cost of its commercial counterpart.

All legal mumbo-jumbo aside - we have distributed this program in full
working order to you and we have faith in the fact that there ARE in fact
many honest people in this world (like yourself).  Therefore, we trust
that you will do the right thing and pay the registration fee if you
continue to use this program.  But if you decide not to continue using
the program, thankyou anyway for taking the time to evaluate this product.

If you would like to be notified of any new product releases from our
company regardless of whether or not you have made a purchase, please
call, write or FAX us.  (Our details are listed later in this chapter).



1.1   DISTRIBUTING THE PROGRAM

Anyone distributing The Stock Analyst for any kind of renumeration must
first contact Visionary Software at the address below for authorisation.
This authorisation will be automatically granted to distributors recognised
by the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP) as adhering to its
guidelines for shareware distributors, and such distributors may begin
offering The Stock Analyst immediately (however, Visionary Software must
still be advised so that the distributor can be kept up-to-date with the
latest version of The Stock Analyst).

You are encouraged to pass a copy of The Stock Analyst along to friends,
relatives, or upload it to your favourite bulletin board for evaluation by
others.  Please encourage them to support the shareware concept by
registering their copy if they do find it useful.

           Visionary Software
           PO Box 251
           Murrumbateman  NSW  2582
           Australia

                                 - 1 -


1.2   WHY SHOULD I REGISTER?

Many people take the attitude that they now have a full working version of
the program, so why bother to pay for something that they already have?

The reasons are as follows :

o All registered users receive :
      - a copy of the latest version of The Stock Analyst
      - a printed and bound manual
      - free technical assistance 7am-7pm, 7 days a week

o You will also be notified of any future releases of The Stock Analyst
  and any new products released by Visionary Software

o Registered users have the option to purchase any updated/upgraded
  versions of The Stock Analyst at around 1/3 of the normal purchase price.

o The registered version of the program does not have any annoying notices
  telling you to register.

o Registered users are issued a unique registration number and all
  registered users are given a 10% discount on any future software
  registrations of Shareware products from Visionary Software.

o When you register this program, a large portion of the profit will be
  put into research and development to develop bigger and better programs
  in the future.  So, by registering this program, you are really helping
  yourself as well.


1.3   HOW TO REGISTER

If you wish to register The Stock Analyst, you may do so by printing the
registration form from the 'Register' sub-menu (within the '≡' menu).
Please see the appropriate section in this manual for further details on
the use of this option.

We accept mail payments by cheque, money order, MasterCard, Visa (and
Bankcard in Australia).

If you are paying your registration by credit card, we can also accept
orders by phone, FAX, or by Email at CompuServe ID 100035,62 (Internet
address is [e-mail]).

All orders will be sent by Air Mail.  Alternatively, you may request that
the order be sent by security (registered) mail.  Details are on the
registration form.





                                 - 2 -


1.4   TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

We provide technical assistance 7am-7pm 7 days a week internationally on
[phone] (Voice) or [phone] (FAX).  Technical assistance is
also available in the USA on [phone] (FAX) and in the UK by
contacting Survey Design Associates Limited (SDA) on [phone]
(Voice) or [phone] (FAX).  You may also write to the addresses as
listed on the registration form.

We may also be reached by Email at CompuServe ID 100035,62 (Internet
address is [e-mail]).  Mail is checked and replied to on
a daily basis whenever possible.

Alternatively, you may write to us at the same address as that listed in
Distribution (page 1).  If you have any queries, comments, problems or
suggestions, please let us know as we would love to hear from you.  All
letters will be replied to within 48 hours of receipt whenever possible.

Unregistered users may receive technical assistance for the evaluation
period (30 days) of the program, at which point they must either register
the program or discontinue use of the product.

Registered users have access to technical assistance for as long as they
own the product.  There is no limit to the amount of calls you may make for
technical assistance.

When calling for technical support, we will require the following details:

   o  Your name
   o  Your registration number (if applicable)
   o  The name and version number of the software

Technical assistance is provided free of charge to all users, both
registered and unregistered.


1.5   OMBUDSMAN STATEMENT

This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware
Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle
works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem
with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to
help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an
ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products.
Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442
or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman
70007,3536.






                                 - 3 -


2   INTRODUCTION
----------------

The Stock Analyst is a powerful, yet easy to use stock analysis program.
The Stock Analyst is entirely menu driven, making it easy for the novice
and experienced user alike to enter and view stock information.

The features of the program are many, and these include:

- A buy/sell analysis of stocks, whereby the program will assess each
  stock and give you advice on what action should be taken with each stock.

- There are several different charts that may be displayed within the
  program.  These charts include a Line chart, Bar chart and Point and
  Figure Chart.  These charts can be an invaluable help when finding and
  assessing trends and other price movements of your stocks.

- The program allows you to display a the complete history of any selected
  stock.  This includes the high, low and closing prices and the volume
  traded on each day.

- The program can hold up to 1,500 different stocks and each stock can have
  up to 32,000 prices (this means that if you recorded prices every single
  day, the program could keep storing prices for about 87 years before
  filling up!).

- Context-sensitive help is available throughout the program, so help is
  never more than a keystroke away.

- Full mouse support is provided for ease of use.


2.1   CAUTION

The Stock Analyst can be a valuable computing aid in the analysis of stock
data and can be of great assistance in making buy/sell decisions, but is
NOT a substitute for common sense and/or sound financial advice. It can
simply provide assistance to the user by making recommendations or
graphically representing stock information based on the data entered by
the user.

It is the users responsibility to decide on the soundness of any investment
before making any decisions on the buying or selling of securities.










                                 - 4 -


3   SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
-----------------------

The Stock Analyst will run on almost any IBM compatible computer.  The
program requires at least 352K of RAM (although the more you have, the
better it will work).  The program can also be run from one or two floppy
drives or a hard disk.  Use of a hard disk is highly recommended as the
program often reads and writes to the disk and a hard disk is MUCH faster
than a floppy disk.

Another reason for recommending the use of a hard disk is that the data
files for this program can take up a large amount of disk space as you
input more information into the database.  Because of this fact, even a
high-density 3.5" disk may fill up very rapidly, thus causing problems as
you may not be able to store as many stock details as you might like to.

There is no minimum graphics/screen requirement as this program will work
on any type of monitor from an LCD or Monochrome display up to a Super VGA
and beyond.  Although, if you do wish to use the graphing functions of the
program, you require either an EGA or VGA monitor.

This program does require that you be using the equivalent of MS-DOS 2.10
or better.

For detailed information on memory and disk matters, please see Chapter 10
- Program and Data File Management and Chapter 11 - Getting the best
performance.


3.1  WHAT FILES YOU SHOULD HAVE

After you have installed the program onto your disk, you should change to
the disk drive where you installed the program onto (eg. type C: if the
program was installed to C drive.  Then type CD \STOCK (assuming that you
installed the program to a directory called STOCK) and press ENTER.  To
view a list of the files, simply type DIR (then press ENTER).  The list
of files displayed should be as follows (not necessarily in this order).

FILENAME EXT
-------- ---
STOCK    COM     ( Main program file                 )
SANALYST EXE     ( Secondary program file            )
STOCK    HLP     ( Help file                         )
SW_STOCK HLP     ( Secondary help file               )
STOCK    DOC     ( This users manual                 )
!                ( Installation notice               )

If the files on your disk do not match this list, you have probably been
given an incomplete set of files.




                                - 5 -


If your listing does not match the one above, please contact us for a free
replacement disk with a current version of the program on it.
Alternatively, you should be able to obtain a copy from a reputable disk
distributor or if you have access to a modem, you could download it from
one of many BBS's around the country.


3.2  FILES THAT WILL BE CREATED

Once you have started stocks into the database, many new files will be
created.  Their size will change constantly as new stock prices are
entered.  These files will be:

  STARTUP.DAT   <-  This is the file that holds all of the information
                    about your program settings and file location.  This
                    file MUST be kept in the same directory as STOCK.COM
                    and the other program files.  The size of this file
                    never changes.

  STOCK.IDX     <-  This is the programs index of all stocks on the
                    database.  This file will be held in the default
                    directory (the directory that you specify when you
                    first start the program).  This file is VITAL to the
                    operation of the program.

  XXXXXX.PCE    <-  Your default directory will contain many of these files
                    as the number of stocks being tracked increases.  Each
                    stock will have a .PCE file.  The X's in the name
                    represent the individual ticker codes for each stock.
                    These files contain ALL of the price details for the
                    stock.






















                                 - 6 -


4.  RUNNING THE PROGRAM
-----------------------


4.1   HARD DISK OR SINGLE FLOPPY DRIVE

Once the program has been installed onto your hard disk or single floppy
disk, all that you need to do to run the program is to complete the
following steps:

   -  Change to the drive where the program is by typing the drive letter
      followed by a colon.  For example, type C: (then press ENTER) to
      change to C drive
   -  Type CD \STOCK (then press ENTER).  This assumes that you have
      installed the program into the directory called STOCK (if not, you
      may substitute the path that you used)
   -  Type STOCK (then press ENTER) to start the program.

Once the program has started, the program will tell you that it cannot find
the startup file "STARTUP.DAT".  It will ask if you wish to create it.  To
start with a brand new database (which is what you will be doing), you
should answer YES to this question.

You will then be warned that this will destroy any previous database and
you will be asked if you wish to continue anyway.  Again, you should answer
YES to this question.

You are then required to enter the path for the data files.  If you wish to
store the data files in a certain directory, simply enter the path
(including the drive letter) to that directory.  If not, you can accept the
default path of <current path>\DATA.

Finally, you are required to enter your country, ie. the country that you
are now in.  If your country does not match any of those to select from,
you should select "Other".  Once selected, press or click on OK to start
the program.

NB. Please avoid using the root directory for the path (ie. C:\ or A:\) as
    this can only hold a limited number of files, whereas a sub-directory
    can hold an unlimited amount of files.













                                - 7 -


4.2   TWO FLOPPY DISK DRIVES

Once the program has been installed onto your first floppy disk, the steps
to run the program are much the same as that with a hard disk or single
floppy disk system.  The only difference is that the data files are stored
on the second disk drive instead of the same drive.  The steps required to
complete this action are as listed below:

   -  Change to the drive where the program is by typing the drive letter
      followed by a colon.  For example, type A: (then press ENTER) to
      change to A drive
   -  Type CD \STOCK (then press ENTER).  This assumes that you have
      installed the program into the directory called STOCK (if not, you
      may substitute the path that you used)
   -  Type STOCK (then press ENTER) to start the program.

Once the program has started, the program will tell you that it cannot find
the startup file "STARTUP.DAT".  It will ask if you wish to create it.  To
start with a brand new database (which is what you will be doing), you
should answer YES to this question.

You will then be warned that this will destroy any previous database and
you will be asked if you wish to continue anyway.  Again, you should
answer YES to this question.

You are then required to enter the path for the data files.  This will
usually be the path to the second (high density if possible) floppy disk
drive.  For example, if you wanted to use 'B' drive as the drive for your
data disk, you could enter the path as: B:\STK_DATA.

Finally, you are required to enter your country, ie. the country that you
are now in.  If your country does not match any of those to select from,
you should select "Other".  Once selected, press or click on OK to start
the program.

NB. Please avoid using the root directory for the path (ie. B:\) as this
    can only hold a limited number of files, whereas a sub-directory can
    hold an unlimited amount of files.















                                 - 8 -


5.   NAVIGATING AROUND THE PROGRAM
---------------------------------

The Stock Analyst essentially contains three visible components: the Menu
bar at the top, the desktop, and the status line at the bottom.

The Menu bar is your primary access to all the menu commands.  When the
Menu bar is active, you will see a highlighted menu title; this is the
currently selected menu.

The status line displays the most commonly used keys within the program.
This is useful to refresh your memory on the keys to use.

The desktop is the portion of the screen between the Menu bar and the
status line.  This is where all dialog boxes and other information is
displayed for you.  The desktop is often referred to as the 'workspace'.


5.1   MENU BAR AND MENUS

All commands that may be used in The Stock Analyst may be selected with
either the keyboard or the mouse.

To choose commands using the keyboard:

1.  Press F10.  This activates the menu bar.

2.  Use the arrow keys to select the menu that you wish to display.  Then
    press the ENTER key.

    As a shortcut for this step, you can press the highlighted letter of
    the menu title.  For example, from the Menu bar, press S to quickly
    display the Stock menu.

3.  Use the arrow keys again to choose the menu command you want.  Then
    press the ENTER key.

    Again, as a shortcut, you can just press the highlighted letter of a
    command to choose it once the menu is displayed.

    At this point, The Stock Analyst will perform the action that you
    selected.

To choose commands with a mouse, do this:

1.  Click the desired menu title to display the menu.

2.  Click the desired command.

You can also drag straight from the menu title down to the menu command.
Release the mouse button on the command you want.  If you change your
mind, just drag off the menu; no command will be chosen.

                                - 9 -


5.2   SHORTCUTS

From the keyboard, you can use a number of shortcuts (also called HOT KEYS)
to access the Menu bar and choose commands.  By the use of a hot key, you
can select a particular item without having to display a menu first.  To
use a hot key, simply press the key or combination of keys as displayed
next to the option you require (displayed on the drop-down menu).

The status line also contains hot keys.  Press the hot key or click on the
actual hot key representation on the status line to choose the associated
command.


5.3   DIALOG BOXES

Dialog boxes are the pop-up windows that allow you to make selections and
enter data into the program.  These dialog boxes are displayed on the
desktop (main portion of the screen).

The dialog box has two standard action buttons: OK and Cancel.

- If you choose OK, the choices in the dialog box are accepted, the action
  will be performed, and the dialog box is put away.

- If you choose Cancel, nothing changes and no action is taken, but the
  dialog box is put away; the same thing happens if you click on the Close
  box, which is a small, filled rectangle in the top left-hand corner of
  the dialog box.  ESC is always a keyboard shortcut for Cancel even if no
  Cancel button appears.

If you're using a mouse, you can click the button you want.  When you're
using the keyboard, you can press the highlighted letter of an item to
activate it.  For example, pressing O selects the OK button.  If you are in
a field where you are entering text, you may select OK by pressing ALT + O.
Press TAB or SHIFT + TAB to move forward or backward respectively from one
group to another in a dialog box, then use the up and down arrow keys to
select an item within the group.  Each element is highlighted when it
becomes active.  When the button is selected, press ENTER to choose it.

5.3.1   RADIO BUTTONS

Radio buttons are used in dialog boxes to give you a selection of two or
more choices from which you may pick one.  Radio buttons are distinguished
by being in groups within a highlighed box.  Each radio button will have
its button displayed, followed by the action that it would take.  Radio
buttons are displayed with two brackets eg. ( ) <- Unselected button;
(o) <- Selected Button.

To select a button, you may either click on the button required, or move
to the buttons position and press the SPACE bar to select it.



                                - 10 -


Radio buttons act like the old-style station-selection buttons on a car
radio.  There is always one -and only one- button pushed in at a time.
Push one in, and the one that was in pops out.

5.3.2   INPUT BOXES

An input box is where you enter text into the application.  Most basic
text-editing keys such as arrow keys, HOME, END and INS work in the input
box.  If you continue to type once you reach the end of the box, the
contents automatically scroll.  If there's more text than what shows in
the box, arrowheads appear at the end.  You can click the arrowheads to
scroll the text.

5.3.3   LIST BOXES

A final component of many dialog boxes is a list box.  A list box lets
you scroll through and select from variable-length lists without leaving a
dialog box.

You make a list box active by clicking on it or by choosing the highlighted
letter of the list title.  You can also press TAB or the arrow keys until
it is highlighted.  Once a list box is displayed, you can use the scroll
bar (the long vertical bar on the right hand side of the list box) with a
mouse:

- To scroll one line at a time, click the arrow at either end.
- To scroll continuously, keep the mouse button pressed.
- To scroll one page at a time, click the shaded area to either side of the
  scroll box (small rectangular box within the scroll bar).
- To quickly move to a spot in the window relative to the position of the
  scroll box, drag the scroll box to any spot on the scroll bar.  For
  example, if you wished to move to the end of the list box, you would drag
  the scroll box down to the bottom of the scroll bar.

To move around in a list box with the keyboard:

- To scroll one line at a time, depress the up or down arrow key.
- To scroll continuously, keep the desired arrow key depressed.
- To scroll one page at a time, depress the Page Up or Page Down key.
- To scroll continuously by pages, keep the desired Page Up or Page Down
  key depressed.
- To move to the start or end of the list box, press the CTRL and Page Up
  or the CTRL and Page Down keys respectively.

Once you have located the item that you wish to select, highlight the item
and click on the OK button, or if using the keyboard, you may highlight the
item and press ENTER, or highlight the item and TAB across and select the
OK button.





                                - 11 -


5.4   HELP

If you do not know what a certain option does, The Stock Analyst has built
in context-sensitive help.  This means that you will be given help that
relates to the task that you are currently performing.  For example, if
you are at the Stock menu, the help will tell you what the stock menu does.

To access help at any time within the program, you may press the F1 key, or
click on the text that says 'F1 Help' that is displayed on the status line.












































                                - 12 -


6.   ≡ MENU (SYSTEM MENU)
-------------------------

The system menu is the first menu on the menu bar and contains all commands
that relate to the system as a whole.

6.1   ABOUT

The About command displays general information about The Stock Analyst
including program name, version number and copyright information.  This is
purely for your information.


6.2   COLOURS (or COLORS, depending on the country selected)

When this option is selected, a dialog box will be displayed from which you
may select the colour scheme that you would like.  The colours are as
follows:

- Palette 1, Standard : This is the default colour scheme that is used in
  The Stock Analyst.  The scheme contains light colours with the main
  colours being light gray and light green with black text.

- Palette 2, Extra : This colour scheme is the alternate selection for
  colour monitors.  The scheme consists mainly of dark blue and light gray
  with blue text.

- Gray Scales : This colour scheme has light green and light gray with
  magenta text.

- Monochrome : This colour scheme is specially designed for monochrome
  monitors, with black, white and light gray being used.

- Laptop (two fonts) : This colour scheme is specially designed for laptop
  computers with LCD screens.  This scheme also uses the colours black,
  white and light gray.

Probably the simplest method of colour selection is to try all colours and
select the one that suits you.

Another option that may be selected is that of 'Use symbols'.  By clicking
or otherwise selecting this item (ie. pressing the SPACE bar whilst this
option is highlighted), you will enable or disable this option.  By
enabling this option, instead of simply higlighting any selected options,
each selected option will have indicators to the sides to each to make the
selection more visible.







                                - 13 -


6.3   SYSTEM DATE

When entering stock data, the date as stored by the system is used as the
default.  Today's date is displayed in the top right-hand corner of the
screen.  If this date is incorrect, you may change the date from within
this option.

To change the date, simply type in the date in the format DD-MM-YYYY (or
MM-DD-YYYY, depending on the country selected).  Once you have entered
the new date, selecting OK will accept the new date.


6.4   SORT ORDER

When any stocks are displayed, by default they are sorted alphabetically
by the name of the stock.  Through this option, you may change the order
in which the stocks are sorted.

There are two different orders by which you may sort the stocks - by the
default of name, or by ticker code.  Once you have selected the order
that you require, the stocks will be re-sorted to match the selected
criteria.


6.5   REGISTER

Through this option you may print the registration form to the screen, your
printer, or to a file.  Simply select the output device that you wish and
press or click OK once the dialog box has been completed.

If your country has been saved as OTHER, another dialog box will be
displayed.  In this box, you should enter the country that is CLOSEST to
you.  If none of these are even remotely close to where you are, you may
select Australia.

Finally, the registration form will be printed to the selected device.


6.6   DOS SHELL

By selecting this item, you may temporarily exit to DOS.  You may then
execute DOS commands, run another program (if you have enough memory), or
whatever you like.  Once you are ready to return to the program, simply
type EXIT (then press ENTER) to return to The Stock Analyst.


6.7   EXIT

By selecting this option, you will exit (quit) the program and be returned
to the operating system.



                                - 14 -


7.   STOCKS MENU
----------------

The stocks menu contains all options that are required to manipulate stocks
and their prices.


7.1   ADD STOCK

Through this option, you may add a new stock to the database.

There are two fields in which to enter data for the stock.  These are:

Stock Name  - The name of the stock to be added (company name).  This name
              may be a maximum of 30 characters in length.

Ticker Code - The code given to the stock by the stock exchange.  This code
              may be a maximum of 6 characters in length.


7.2   DELETE STOCK

By selecting this option, you may delete a stock from the database.  Once
you enter this option, you may select the required stock from the list box
that is displayed.  This list box will contain all of the stocks currently
stored on disk.

Once a stock has been deleted from the database, all of it's prices and
details will be deleted along with it.  Once deleted, the stock will be
unrecoverable.


7.3   ADD NEW STOCK PRICES

Through this option, you may add new prices to any stocks that currently
exist in the database.

There are several steps that you must go through to enter new prices.
Firstly, you must select the stock to add the prices for - this is selected
through a list box.

Once you have selected a stock, you must then enter the trading date.  This
is to be entered in the format DD-MM-YYYY (or MM-DD-YYYY, depending on the
country selected).









                                - 15 -


Finally, you must enter the following:

Day's High  - The highest price that the shares reached during the day
Day's Low   - The lowest price that the shares reached during the day
Day's Close - The price of the shares when the market closed for the day
Volume      - The number of shares traded during the day

All of the above information may be found in any financial newspaper or the
financial section of your local or national newspaper.


7.4   DELETE STOCK PRICES

By selecting this option, you may delete prices for a particular stock from
the database.  Once you enter this option, you may select the required
stock from the list box that is displayed.  This list box will contain all
of the stocks currently stored on disk.

Once the stock has been selected, another list box will be displayed.  This
list box will contain all of the dates on which prices were entered.  To
delete prices, simply select the date on which the prices were entered for.

Once prices have been deleted from the database, the prices will be
unrecoverable.


7.5   UPDATE MARKET INDEX

This option is used to update the market index (eg. Dow Jones, FTSE 100,
All Ordinaries) for the day.  All that is required is for you to enter the
index value once the market has ceased trading each day (or whenever you
can).  When the value is entered, it will be added to the database under
the current date (ie. today's date).  This date is always displayed in the
top right-hand corner of the screen for your reference.

If you wish to enter an index value for a different day, all that you are
required to do is temporarily change the system date, update the index,
then return the date to it's correct setting.















                                - 16 -


8.   REPORTS MENU
-----------------

The reports menu contains the options that report on the stocks in your
database.  This is mainly useful for analysing and assessing a stocks
past and future performance.


8.1   STOCK HISTORY

The stock history option allows you to display a listing of a particular
stock.  This will include the high, low and closing prices and the volume
traded on each day.  This list may contain every entry ever made for the
stock if you so desire.

Upon selecting this option, a listbox will be displayed with all the stocks
contained therein.  To view the history of a stock, simply select the stock
that you wish to view and press or click on OK.

You will then be required to enter the date on which to start displaying
FROM and then the date to display TO.  If you wish to view all of the stock
prices, you may accept the default values given.

The history of the stock as selected will then be displayed in a listbox.
Once you have finished with the listbox, you may press or click OK to
continue.  At this point, you will be asked if you wish to send the output
to the printer.  If you answer YES to this question, the stock history will
be sent to your printer.  Please ensure that your printer has paper and is
on-line before replying YES to this question.


8.2   BUY/SELL ANALYSIS

Once you have selected this option, the program will analyse every stock
in the database in turn and will give you advice as to what it believes you
should do with that stock.

The analysis of the stock will then be displayed in a listbox.  Once you
have finished with the listbox, you may press or click OK to continue.  At
this point, you will be asked if you wish to send the output to the
printer.  If you answer YES to this question, the buy/sell analysis will
be sent to your printer.  Please ensure that your printer has paper and is
on-line before replying YES to this question.

The advice given will be one of the following:

HOLD -      This may be generated for one of two reasons.  Firstly, the
            HOLD signal may be generated if the stock is not showing any
            particular signs in any direction, meaning that you should
            probably wait to see what happens.



                                - 17 -


            Secondly, this signal may also be generated if the program does
            not yet have enough information on the stock to make a decision
            yet.  Usually, the program requires from thirty to sixty price
            entries before it can make a decision (although it depends on
            the price movements of the stock).

BUY  -      The BUY signal is generated when the stock shows signs that the
            price is on the rise.

SELL      - The SELL signal is generated when the stock shows signs that
            the price is declining.

CONS BUY  - The CONS BUY (Consider buy) is generated when some factors show
            that you should be buying, but other factors say that you
            should continue to hold.

CONS SELL - The CONS SELL (Consider sell) is generated when some factors
            show that you should be selling, but other factors say that you
            should continue to hold.

Please note that these signals are intended to be used only as a guide for
you.  There is still no substitute for common sense (and/or a good broker
or investment advisor).






























                                - 18 -


9.   CHARTS MENU
----------------

Through this option, you may get a graphical representation of your stocks
performance.  This can often be an invaluable aid in assessing trends and
all associated price movements.

Please note that these charts may only be displayed if you have an EGA or
VGA (or better) monitor.


9.1   LINE CHART

A line chart is built on the closing prices of the stock for each trading
day.  The vertical or 'y' axis on the left of the chart represents the
prices of the stock.  The horizontal or 'x' axis along the bottom of the
chart represents the dates on which the stock was traded.

The line is created by plotting points for each day of trading and then
joining each point together to form the line.

At the bottom of the chart, there is another mini-chart that is created
also.  These are red, three-dimensional bars extending upward.  These bars
represent the volume of stocks traded on that day.  The bars are displayed
in relation to the largest volume traded on the chart.

Before the chart is displayed, a listbox will be displayed with all the
stocks contained therein.  From this listbox, you must select the stock
that you wish to view and press or click on the OK button.

You will then be required to enter the date on which to start displaying
FROM and then the date to display TO.  If you wish to chart all of the
stock prices, you may accept the default values given.


9.2   BAR CHART

The bar chart created is unlike the normal bar chart that you may expect to
see displayed by the program.  Instead of drawing rectangular bars, the
bars drawn are simply a line.  Although, in this case, it is no normal
line.  When a bar is drawn, the top of the bar represents the highest
point that the stock reached on that day and the bottom of the bar
represents the lowest point that the stock dropped to on that day.

Additionally, the bar will have a small horizontal line extending to the
right of the bar.  This line marks the closing price of the stock for that
day.  This is very useful to see how much the price has fluctuated during
the day of trading, among other things.





                                - 19 -


As with the line chart, the vertical or 'y' axis on the left of the chart
represents the prices of the stock.  The horizontal or 'x' axis along the
bottom of the chart represents the dates on which the stock was traded.

Before the chart is displayed, a listbox will be displayed with all the
stocks contained therein.  From this listbox, you must select the stock
that you wish to view and press or click on the OK button.

You will then be required to enter the date on which to start displaying
FROM and then the date to display TO.  If you wish to chart all of the
stock prices, you may accept the default values given.


9.3   POINT AND FIGURE CHART

The point and figure chart is very different from any other chart.  The
main features of this type of charting are that:

- It is compiled with no time dimension
- It disregards small changes in share price
- It requires a share's price to reverse a number of points before a
  directional change is recorded

In this type of charting, the movements are recorded by crosses and
circles.  The crosses indicate upward movements and the circles downward
movements in share price.

Each time that the share price changes direction, the point of charting
moves across one space on the 'x' axis.  This will often show the shares
moving in some sort of pattern.  From this pattern, you can often gain a
valuable insight into how the share's price is going to move in the future.

Before the chart is displayed, a listbox will be displayed with all the
stocks contained therein.  From this listbox, you must select the stock
that you wish to view and press or click on the OK button.


















                                - 20 -


10.   PROGRAM AND DATA FILE MANAGEMENT
--------------------------------------

10.1   WHERE SHOULD IT ALL BE KEPT

In this program, it is important that all of the files be stored in their
correct locations so that The Stock Analyst knows where to find the
program and data files.

10.1.1   USING A HARD DISK OR SINGLE FLOPPY

If you will be running the program from a hard drive or a single floppy
drive, the only requirement is that the program files are all in the same
directory and that the data files are all in the directory as specified
when you began the program.

Please remember that you should not store the data files in the root
directory of your disk as the root directory can only hold a limited number
of files.  You should instead store the data files in a sub-directory as a
sub-directory may store an unlimited number of files.

10.1.2   USING TWO FLOPPY DISKS

If you are using two floppy disk drives, the best way to set up the program
is to have the program files on one disk and the data files on the other.
If one disk drive has a higher capacity than the other, you should use the
lower capacity drive for the program files and the higher capacity drive
for to store the data files.

As with a hard disk or single floppy, you should not store the data files
in the root directory of your disk as the root directory can only hold a
limited number of files.  You should instead store the data files in a
sub-directory as a sub-directory may store an unlimited number of files.


10.2   HOW MUCH DISK SPACE YOU WILL NEED

The question of how much disk space is required for the program and its
data files is almost impossible to answer, but we can give you some general
guidelines.

The program files are a set size, so that is one question that is easy to
answer.  The total disk space taken by the program files is around 203 Kb.

The size of the data files will change constantly as stocks are added and
deleted throughout the use of the program.







                                - 21 -


Individually, each entry will take up the following amount of disk space:

    Index Entry (adding a stock)   38 bytes
    Price Entry                    39 bytes

Often you will be able to fit all of the data files on one high-density
floppy diskette (or maybe even a low-density diskette).  Although, this
is dependant on how many stocks are being analysed.


10.3   WARNING ON FILE DELETION

Often you will want to delete stocks or prices from the database.  When you
do so, please delete the stocks or prices through the program's delete
options.  If you delete the files directly through DOS, you may cause
errors in the program's data files and as such, the program may not run as
it should.

Additionally, if you have to clean up your floppy disk (or hard drive) to
make extra room at any stage, please ensure that you do not delete any of
the program or data files (that is if you still want the program to work).
More importantly than anything else, if you delete the files STARTUP.DAT or
STOCK.IDX, the program will no longer be able to find the files that are
stored on the database, thus rendering the database useless.





























                                - 22 -


11.   GETTING THE BEST PERFORMANCE
----------------------------------

11.1   MEMORY MANAGEMENT

This program requires a computer with at least 352K of available memory to
run.  The available memory is the amount of conventional memory left after
all of the memory-resident programs have been loaded (including DOS).

If you receive an OUT OF MEMORY error whilst running the program, or a
PROGRAM TO BIG TO FIT IN MEMORY error when you try to start the program,
you should remove any memory-resident programs that are not essential
(ie. TSR's, network drivers, device drivers).  Additionally, if you are
running the program through a DOS shell (eg. MS-DOS(R) Dosshell,
MS-Windows(tm) DOS) you will increase memory by leaving the shell program
altogether and running this program from the command line.

If you are using MS-DOS version 5.00 or later, you can increase the size
of conventional memory by loading your memory-resident programs high.
Please consult your MS-DOS manual for details on how to do this.

If you are still having memory problems, you can get more memory by
starting your computer from a floppy disk containing the system files
with very little (if anything) in the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files.
This will ensure that your system will be starting with the largest amount
of memory possible.


11.2   DISK MANAGEMENT

11.2.1   HARD DISK VS FLOPPY DISK(S)

It is often asked whether a program should be run from a hard disk or from
floppy disk(s).  The simple answer is - run the program from a hard disk
whenever possible.  The advantages of the hard disk over the floppy disks
are great, with the two major pluses being:

* Hard disks are many times faster than floppy disks
* Hard disks can store vast amounts of information

We do recommend that you use a hard disk whenever possible, as the program
does make regular disk accesses and as such, would be MUCH slower when
running from a floppy disk.  Another reason to use a hard disk is that the
data files can get very large and may not fit on a single floppy disk.









                                - 23 -


11.2.2   DISK CACHE

A disk cache is a program written for computers with expanded or extended
memory.  A disk cache is designed to reduce the amount of time your
computer spends reading data from your hard disk.  Examples of this are -
Microsoft's SMARTDRV and Norton's NCACHE.

By using a disk cache, you should be able to speed up the use of The Stock
Analyst.  Simply include the caching program in your CONFIG.SYS or
AUTOEXEC.BAT file to create a cache.  Setting the cache up to use 1024K of
memory should be more than sufficient for use with The Stock Analyst.










































                                - 24 -


12.   GUARANTEE

We are certain that this program is without peer in stock market analysis
and we believe that you will also be impressed by the programs ease of use,
speed, and accuracy.  Although, if you are not completely satisfied by the
performance of this program, you may return the product to us within 30
days from the date of purchase for a full refund.

If you do wish to receive a refund, please call, FAX, or email us first to
receive a return authorisation number.  You may then return the program
plus documentation to us, clearly marked with this authorisation number.

NB. Obviously, this guarantee is only available to registered users of
    this product.







































                                - 25 -


APPENDIX A
----------

ERROR MESSAGES

Below is a list of all messages that may be displayed by the program if an
error occurs.  If you receive any error that terminates the program and/or
you are unsure of how to rectify the error, please write down what is
displayed on the screen and what you were doing when the error occurred.
After you have these details, please feel free to contact us for help in
solving the problem.  Details on technical assistance are listed in
chapter 1.1.

Errors are listed in alphabetical order with the error message printed in
CAPITALS with the error number in brackets.  Following the error message
is the description of the error with any possible solutions.  Often, an
error may be fixed by simply restarting the program or attempting to
perform the process again.

The errors are as follows:

BAD DRIVE REQUEST STRUCT LENGTH (151)

The DOS device driver reported an internal error.

Solution: Restart the program and try the operation again.  If the error
          persists, there could be a problem with your computers hardware.


CANNOT READ FROM DEVICE (161)
DOS has reported that it cannot read anything from the disk drive.  This
is often caused by a hardware fault.

Solution: Check the integrity of your disk drive and computer system
          functions in general.


CANNOT WRITE TO DEVICE (160)
DOS has reported that it cannot write anything to the disk drive or
printer.  This is often caused by a hardware fault.

Solution: Check the integrity of your disk drive or printer and computer
          system functions in general.


DATA ON DISK IS CORRUPTED (154)
The data on the default or program disk has been corrupted and cannot be
read by the program.

Solution: If the problem continues and you cannot locate the defective
          files, contact technical assistance.


                                - 26 -


DIRECTORY IS FULL (241)
The default directory is unable to hold any more files as it has reached
its limit.  This error occurs when you have been using the root directory
to store data files.

Solution: The only solution is to start a new database by deleting the data
          files and the file FLAGS.DAT.  Ensure that the new default path
          is a sub-directory.


DISK FULL (101)
The disk with the data files has run out of space so the program cannot
write any data to it.

Solution: Delete any non-essential data from the disk, purchase a disk-
          compression program (eg. Stacker, SuperStor, MS-DOS 6) or get
          a larger disk.


DISK IS WRITE PROTECTED (150)
The program was attempting to write data to a disk, but was unable to
because the disk was write-protected.

Solution: If you are using a 3.5" disk, move the write-protect tab DOWN to
          cover the hole in the disk.  If you are using a 5.25" disk,
          remove the write-protect tab that is covering the notch in the
          right-hand side of the disk.


DISK READ ERROR (100)
The program is having trouble reading data from the disk.

Solution: This error will usually disappear if you restart the program or
          even ignore the error completely.


DISK SECTOR NOT FOUND (158)
DOS reported an error while attempting to find data on your disk.  The disk
or data may be corrupted.

Solution: Ensure that all of the data and program files are in the correct
          place on your disk(s) and that they seem to be intact.  If the
          problem persists, please contact technical assistance.


DISK WRITE ERROR (240)
DOS has reported that your disk is full.

Solution: Delete any non-essential data from the disk or get a larger disk.




                                - 27 -


DRIVE NOT READY (152)
- There is no disk in the drive, or
- The drive door is open, or
- The drive is not ready to be accessed.

Solution: Insert a disk into the drive, or
          Close the drive door, or
          Return to the main menu and try again

          If the problem persists, please contact technical assistance.


ERROR IN NUMERIC FORMAT (16)
The program is trying to read a number from a file, but the data does not
contain the correct numbers.

Solution: This error should never occur, but if it does, restart the
          program and the error should correct itself.


FATAL ERROR - Number XX at XXXX:XXXX (Number as displayed)
An error has occurred that cannot be recovered from.  The program will halt
at this point.

Solution: There is no solution other than restarting the program.  Please
          record these numbers and contact technical assistance if the
          error continues.


FILE ACCESS DENIED (5)
- A data file has attributes of read-only, or
- The working (default) directory is full, or
- A data file cannot be opened

Solution: Change the file attributes so that they are no longer read only,
          or See solution for DIRECTORY FULL ERROR, or Check to ensure that
          all data files are present in the default directory and correct.

          If the error persists, please contact technical assistance for
          help.


FILE DOES NOT EXIST (1)
The program cannot find the program that it was looking for.  Please ensure
that no data or program files have been accidentally erased from your disk.

Solution: There is no solution other than finding the missing file(s).






                                - 28 -


FILE NOT FOUND (2)
The program cannot find the program that it was looking for.  Please ensure
that no data or program files have been accidentally erased from your disk.

Solution: There is no solution other than finding the missing file(s).


HARDWARE FAILURE (156 or 162)
DOS encountered a hardware failure on an I/O device.

This error can be reported as a result of sharing violations and other
network errors.

Solution: Check all of your I/O devices (eg. disk drive, printer) to ensure
          that they are reliable.  If you are working on a network, check
          the access mode and users on the system.

          If all seems correct, try to restart the program.  If the error
          persists, please contact technical assistance.


HEAP OVERFLOW ERROR (203)
There is not enough free space in the heap to allocate the required block
of memory for the programs use (ie. The computer has run out of memory).

Solution: Read the chapter on memory management to increase your computers
          available memory


INVALID FILE HANDLE (6)
This error is reported if an invalid file handle is passed to a DOS system
call.

This error should never occur; if it does, you know that something in the
program has been trashed.

Solution: Try restarting the program, if the error continues, notify
          technical assistance.


INVALID POINTER OPERATION (204)
There is a problem with the pointers within the program pointing outside of
the correct memory space.

Solution: Restart the program, the error should not occur again.








                                - 29 -


OBJECT NOT INITIALISED (210)
A call to an object within the program was unsuccessful, this could
indicate a software fault.

Solution: Restart the program.  If error continues, call technical
          assistance.


OUT OF MEMORY - HEAP OVERFLOW AT XXXX:XXXX (No number)
There is not enough free space in the heap to allocate the required block
of memory for the programs use (ie. The computer has run out of memory).

This error is fatal, which means that the program cannot continue and as
such, the program will halt.

Solution: Read the chapter on memory management to increase your computers
          available memory


OUT OF MEMORY - STACK OVERFLOW AT XXXX:XXXX (No number)
The program reports this error when there is not enough stack space to
allocate the sub program's local variables (ie. not enough memory).

This error is fatal, which means that the program cannot continue and as
such, the program will halt.

Solution: Read the chapter on memory management to increase your computers
          available memory


PATH NOT FOUND (3)
The program cannot locate the directory specified by you as the default
directory.

Solution: Ensure that the default directory specified by you actually
          exists where it should.


PRINTER OUT OF PAPER (159)
Your printer is signalling that it is out of paper.

Solution: Replenish your printer's paper supply.


RECORD LENGTH MISMATCH (144)
The length of the data records is not as it should be.  This usually
indicates that the file(s) may be corrupted or tampered with in some way.

Solution: Attempt to locate the bad data file and rectify the problem, or
          restart the program to see if the error persists.  If it does
          persist, please contact technical assistance.


                                - 30 -


SEEK BEYOND END OF FILE (145)
DOS reported an error while attempting to find data on your disk.

Solution: Ensure that all data files are in the correct directory on the
          disk and that no files have been erased or tampered with in any
          way.


STACK OVERFLOW ERROR (202)
The program reports this error when there is not enough stack space to
allocate the sub program's local variables (ie. not enough memory).

This error is fatal, which means that the program cannot continue and as
such, the program will halt.

Solution: Read the chapter on memory management to increase your computers
          available memory


TOO MANY OPEN FILES (4 or 243)
The program will report this error if the program has too many open files
for DOS to handle.

Solution: Usually, this error means that your FILES=xx entry in your
          CONFIG.SYS file specifies too few files.  Increase the number xx
          to some suitable value, such as 20.  You should also have a
          statement of BUFFERS=20 to ensure correct program operation.


UNABLE TO LOCATE STOCK.IDX IN DEFAULT PATH (No number)
DOS has reported that the file STOCK.IDX (the index file) does not exist
in the path specified as the default path.

Solution: Check the default path for this file.  Usually this error will
          only occur if the file has been erased.  If the file no longer
          exists, the database will be rendered useless.  The only solution
          in this case is to delete all of the data files from your disk,
          delete the file STARTUP.DAT and start a brand new database.


UNKNOWN MEDIA TYPE (157)
DOS can't recognise the type of disk in your drive.

Solution: Check the disk in your disk drive to ensure that it is formatted
          and is the correct disk.


UNKNOWN CAUSE (Number as displayed)
An unknown error has occurred during program execution.

Solution: If the error persists, take note of the error number and contact
          technical assistance.

                                - 31 -


APPENDIX B
----------

GLOSSARY OF SHAREMARKET TERMS

Below is a glossary of terms that are usually used in the sharemarket.


ACID TEST RATIO
A measure of financial solvency (also known as quick asset ratio), which is
calculated by dividing cash and other assets readily convertible into cash
by current liabilities.

ANNUAL REPORT
The formal financial and financially related statements required by law and
issued once a year by a company.  Included in this report are four
mandatory statements: the balance sheet, the profit-and-loss statement, the
directors' or presidents' report, and the auditors' report.

ASSETS
Those resources owned or at the disposal of a company or individual.

AUDITORS' REPORT
A statement attesting to veracity of information contained in the annual
report.

AUTHORISED CAPITAL
This is the amount of funds represented by shares that a company is
permitted to issue according to its memorandum of association.

BALANCE DATE
The date, usually 30 June, to which the annual accounts are officially
drawn up.

BALANCE SHEET
Comprising part of the annual report, this statement details the assets
owned by an entity, and the ownership interest in these assets of two
groups.  Firstly, those who hold shares in the entity, and, secondly,
those other than shareholders who provide capital or credit to the entity.

BEAR MARKET
A market in which share prices are declining.

BID
The price at which an investor is willing to buy shares.

BLUE CHIP INVESTMENT
A term used to designate a company known for the quality and wide
acceptance of its product or services, and for its ability to make money
and pay dividends.



                                - 32 -


BOND
A document upon which the details of a loan made to a government or semi-
government body are recorded.  It usually involves a fixed rate of
interest and a fixed price period.

BONUS DIVIDEND
An additional dividend paid to shareholders over and above what they would
normally expect to receive.  It is normally given by a company to
commemorate some event such as a centenary or the making of an
exceptionally large profit.

BONUS INCREMENT
The margin between the take-up price of a new issue as against the price
of the same company's shares on the market.

BONUS ISSUE
The issue of shares free of charge to existing shareholders, usually in a
predetermined ratio, eg. one bonus share for every three already held.

BOOKS CLOSING DATE
The date on which a company closes its books to determine those
shareholders entitled to a dividend, new issue, etc.

BROKER
One who handles orders to buy and sell shares, fixed term and other
securities for a commission.

BROKERAGE
The commission a broker receives for handling orders to buy and sell
shares, fixed term and other securities.

BULL MARKET
A market in which share prices are rising.

CALL
The amount that remains to be paid on a particular share before it becomes
fully paid.  See Contributing Shares.

CAPITAL
The amount of funds a company has in the form of shares.

CAPITAL GAIN
A gain that accrues to an investor when his/her securities increase in
value over and above what was paid for them.

CASH ISSUE
The issue of shares for a cash consideration.

CLOSING PRICE
The price quoted on shares at the close of a day's trading on the stock
exchange.


                                - 33 -


CONTRACT NOTE
Document sent by a broker to a client, recording information in respect of
a purchase or sale, eg. price of shares and brokerage.

CONTRIBUTING SHARES
Shares that are not fully paid.

CONVERTIBLE NOTE
A loan made to a company at a fixed rate of interest, which will either be
redeemed for cash by the company or converted into ordinary shares on or
within specified dates.

CUM
Meaning 'with', hence 'cum dividend', 'cum rights'.  Following the
announcement of a dividend or rights issue, shares will be traded for a
period, entitling the buyer to the dividend (when it is paid) or rights
for new shares when the new issue occurs.  Shares traded during this time
will tend to rise somewhat in price.  After the specified period the shares
will become 'ex dividend' and 'ex rights'.

CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and items that are expected to be turned into cash (inventories,
accounts receivable) within twelve months of a balance sheet date.

CURRENT LIABILITIES
Debts of a company payable within one year of a balance sheet date.

CURRENT RATIO
An accounting term used to describe a means of comparison between current
assets and current liabilities.

DEBENTURE
A loan (secured by a charge over a company's assets) made to a company for
a fixed rate of interest over a fixed period of time.  Part of a group of
securities known as fixed-term securities.

DEFERRED (DD)
Shares quoted (DD) are associated with companies undergoing capital
reconstruction where shareholders having surrendered old scrip (share
certificates) are awaiting new scrip.

(DEL)
Shares quoted (DEL) refer to a new issue for which scrip has not yet been
issued.

DIRECTOR
A person elected by shareholders to establish company policies.  One such
policy relates to the amount, if any, of dividends that will be paid.





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DIRECTORS' REPORT
A statement, comprising part of the company's annual report, that describes
past and likely future performance from the directors' viewpoint.  It
appears in narrative form.

DISCOUNT
The amount by which a security is traded below its par value.

DIVERSIFICATION
The spreading of investment funds between investments to minimise the
effects of risk and uncertainty.  A company may also diversify its
products.

DIVIDEND
Amount paid to shareholders as interest on their investment.  It is based
on a company's profitability, and usually expressed on a per share basis.

DIVIDEND COVER
The number of times dividend payout is covered by the profit available to
ordinary shareholders.

DIVIDEND RATE
The dividend paid to shareholders shown as a percentage of the par value of
a share.

DIVIDEND YIELD
The dividend paid per share (DPS) shown as a percentage of the latest sale
price of a share.

EARNINGS PER SHARE (EPS)
The net profit of a company less the interest commitment to preference
shareholders divided by the total number of ordinary shares issued.

EARNINGS YIELD
Earnings per share as a percentage of the latest sale price of a share.
Often rearranged as the price/earnings (P/E) ratio.

EFFICIENT MARKET
Term used to describe a market in which all information is fully reflected
in the price of a share on the market.

ENTITLEMENT ISSUE
A method of raising capital where existing shareholders may buy new shares
at below market prices.  The entitlement cannot be sold or transferred.
Frequently used by mining and oil companies to raise funds.

EQUITY
Ownership interest.





                                - 35 -


EX
Meaning 'without', hence 'ex dividend' and 'ex entitlement'.  The use of
the term indicates that shares are being traded without the current
dividend or the current entitlement.  The opposite of 'cum'.

EX DATE
The date on which shares change from being 'cum' to 'ex', usually the
fifth business day prior to and including the book closing date.

EX POSTE
Relating to the past, that which has gone before.

FACE VALUE
The nominal or par value of a share.  Indicates the standard unit in
cents of a company's share.  Bears no relation to market price.

FLOAT (FLOTATION)
Describes the raising of initial capital by public subscription to
securities.

FIXED ASSETS
Assets that are expected to contribute to the income earned by a
business during more than one year.

FULLY PAID SHARES
Shares upon which the full amount of the initial contract price has been
received.

FUNDAMENTAL ANALYSIS
Analysis of a company based on the calculation of ratios, themselves
based on past information in respect to a company's profitability and
solvency.

GILT-EDGED
Securities noted for their stability.

GROWTH STOCK
Shares that provide the opportunity for a capital gain that is above
average.

INTANGIBLE ASSETS
Assets that have little or no physical existence, eg. patents, goodwill.

INTERIM DIVIDEND
A dividend paid during a year representing a return based on the previous
six months' financial performance and the outlook for the future.

ISSUED CAPITAL
That part of authorised capital that has been taken up by the public.




                                - 36 -


LIMIT ORDER
An order of shares in which the buyer places a limit on the price he or
she is prepared to pay for a share.

MARKET CAPITALISATION
A technique used to rank the size of firms.  Calculated by multiplying
the number of issued shares of a company by the latest sale price of
its shares.

MARKET ORDER
Term applying to an order of shares to be executed at the best possible
price, usually at the broker's discretion.

MARKET PRICE
The prevailing price around which a security is bought and sold.

MARKETABLE PARCEL
The minimum number of shares at a certain price that can be traded.

MINORITY INTEREST
Describes the interests of those shareholders in a company who do not
have the majority of the voting rights.

NET ASSETS
Total assets less total liabilities.

NET TANGIBLE ASSET BACKING (NTAB)
A frequently quoted company statistic describing the net assets owned
by shareholders.

NET TANGIBLE ASSETS
Total assets less intangible assets.

NO LIABILITY
Term used to describe a company in which the shareholders are not
obliged to pay calls on their shares.  Usually applies to mining
companies.

NOMINAL CAPITAL
The authorised capital of a company.

NON-RENOUNCEABLE ISSUE
Describes an issue of shares that cannot be sold or transferred.  An
entitlement issue is always non-renounceable.

ODD LOT
Shares in numbers that do not constitute marketable parcels.

OFFER
The price at which an investor is willing to sell shares.



                                - 37 -


OFFICIAL LIST
A list of companies granted quotation on the stock exchange.

OPENING PRICES
The prices quoted on shares at the official opening of a day's trading
on the stock exchange.

OPTION
Describes the right attached to a share issue that permits the purchaser
to take up further shares at some future date at a fixed price.  Options
may be traded on the market.

PAR VALUE
The nominal or face value of a security, determined by a company, and
displayed on the share certificate.

PLACEMENT
The investment of funds, usually in large amounts, in particular
securities.

POINTS
A measure used to indicate changes in the stock exchange indices.

PORTFOLIO
Comprises the total selection of companies that an investor has placed
funds in.

PREFERENCE SHARE
Unit of capital with prior rights to dividends and sometimes capital
repayment over ordinary shareholders.

PREMIUM
The margin between the par value of a share and the market value.

PRICE/EARNINGS RATIO (P/E RATIO)
Describes the relationship between the market price of a share and
earnings per share.

PROSPECTUS
A document prepared by a company setting out the terms and conditions
associated with a new issue of its securities.

PROXY
Authority, in writing, to vote on behalf of another shareholder at a
company meeting.

QUOTATION
Describes the exercise of listing the current buying and selling prices
of a share or sales.




                                - 38 -


RALLY
Describes a period when shares rise after a period of declining prices.

RIGHTS ISSUE
An issue of capital in which shares are offered to existing shareholders,
in predetermines ratios, below their market price.  Rights are tradeable
on the market.

SCRIP
Another term for a share certificate.

SECURITIES
Types of investments offered by companies or government authorities, for
example, shares, debentures, bonds, notes.

SHARE CERTIFICATE
An official record of the equity of a particular shareholder in a company.
Must be relinquished when shares are sold.

SHAREHOLDERS' FUNDS
Describes the sum of all shareholder equity in a company.

SHARE SPLIT
An action whereby, in a effort to make its shares more tradeable,
companies divide their capital into smaller units.  For example, change
from $1 to 50 cent shares.

STAGS
Persons who buy shares with the intention of immediately reselling them
and making a quick profit.

STOCKS
Term used interchangeably with 'shares'.

STOCKBROKER
Term used interchangeably with 'sharebroker'.

STOCKMARKET
Term used interchangeably with 'sharemarket'.

TAKEOVER
An action in which one company buys sufficient shares of another company
in order to take over the management of its operations.

UNDERWRITER
Organisation or person who, for a commission, guarantees full
subscription to a new issue of shares.  Part of the agreement entails
the underwriter buying any unsold shares.





                                - 39 -


UNSECURED NOTE
A fixed-interest security of the same nature as a debenture, except for
the fact that it is not secured by a charge over company assets.

YIELD
Earnings, dividends, or interest paid by a company expressed as a
percentage of the current market price of a share.














































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