PC Plus 42/APPLICS/SHARES.ARC/SHARES.DOC

Text File | 1989-11-25 | 7.2 KB | 172 lines

                                 SHARESEARCH PC

                            (C) FGJ ASSOCIATES 1989

Whilst  every  effort has been made to ensure that there are no errors  in  this
documentation  or  in the "SHARESEARCH PC" program and data, FGJ Associates  can
accept no responsibility for any errors or their consequences.

It  is  not  intended that this program should be used for the management  of  a
portfolio  of investments. There are far better programs designed for this  task
such as "SHARE ANALYSIS PC" by FGJ ASSOCIATES.

This  program is ideally suited to rapidly searching through the whole  database
(equivalent to the data contained on the back two pages of the Financial Times)
for  strong, volatile shares. The timing of the buying and selling of this  type
of  share  is covered in good detail by Brian J Millard in his book "Stocks  and
Shares Simplified - A Guide for the Smaller Investor" (ISBN 0-471-90910-6).

The program "SHARESEARCH" has proved its value consistently since July 1986 when
FGJ  Associates  first  embarked on the management of a  large  Investment  Club
capitalised  then  at £9000. Within twelve months FGJ Associates had raised  the
capital  value  to  £105,000. Since May 1988, FGJ Associates have  directed  and
managed  "Pedagogues  Limited", a company dedicated to making profits  from  its
dealings on the Stock Exchange.


LOADING AND RUNNING "SHARESEARCH PC"

Owing  to  the desirability of making a hard copy of the bar charts  and  graphs
generated  by  this  program, after booting the system type  "GRAPHICS"  at  the
prompt to enable you to dump the screen to your printer.

At the prompt, type "shares" and enter.

After  the title page you are presented with the "MAIN MENU" but only option "1"
will respond until you have loaded a data file.

You  are  recommended to start by loading data file No 1 "BANKS, HP  &  LEASING"
because  on this demonstration disc this file contains fictitious companies  and
data.  Experiment  with  this file rather than risk corrupting the  "real"  data
contained in the genuine files included with this demonstration disc.


MAIN MENU OPTIONS

1.  LOAD/CHANGE company file.

The three genuine company files available on this disc are:-

                             2   BEERS, WINES & SPIRITS
                             5   DRAPERY & STORES
                             6   ELECTRICALS  A-L

In  addition,  the FTSE 100 data is held in file no 33. You are invited  to  add
data  of  your  own to this file, but you must retain the FTSE 100 data  in  its
number one position.


2.  UPDATE this file.

You should only require this option once a month.
Press "2" and the "UPDATE MENU" will replace the "MAIN MENU".
Press "8" to return to the "MAIN MENU".

For more details see the section headed the "UPDATE MENU".


3.  SHARE PRICE last entered for each company.

This option indicates the MONTH when the file was last updated and lists all the
companies  in the file together with their last entered share price. This option
is  particularly useful for checking the contents of the file for changes  prior
to updating.


4.  Companies whose share price has GAINED in value over the last twelve months.

The  last entered share price is compared to the one entered twelve months  ago.
If the latest price is higher, then the company's name is printed on the  screen
together  with its percentage increase. "New companies" are those with less than
twelve months data.


5.  Companies whose share price has FALLEN in value over the last twelve months.

Similarly,  a  list is produced as in option "4" but reflecting those  companies
whose last entered price is equal to or lower than that of twelve months ago.


6.  Companies whose shares have shown CONSISTENT GROWTH.

This  option is designed to search for strong, volatile shares. Generally,  this
description  would  apply to those shares which have not only out-performed  the
market  but  most  other shares as well. This option will present you  with  all
shares  exhibiting characteristics of consistent growth, the stronger performers
are those with the highest percentage gains.

Selecting  this  option  presents you with a choice. You can either  search  for
shares  which display consistent growth over the whole year or those which  have
exhibited  these  characteristics  over the last six months or so.  This  latter
option is particularly useful for sifting out strong recovery stocks.

An example of each of the above options is available in file No 1.


7.  PEFORMANCE PROFILES.

The  two "screens" of graphical information summarise each company's share price
performance.  The second "screen" allows the share price profile to be  compared
to that of both the FTSE 100 and the average for the sector, both plotted to the
same scale.

The  lower left graph shows the smoothing effect of the three month (or 10 week)
moving average, and this is plotted against the last price entered.

Finally, option 8 allows you to exit SHARESEARCH PC and return to DOS.


The "UPDATE MENU".

1.  ENTER THIS MONTHS SHARE PRICE.

The  data  required for this option is best gained from a copy of the  Financial
Times on the first Friday each month. This will ensure that the new data will be
consistent with the existing data in the file.

Updating  a  file will automatically flush out the share price of twelve  months
ago.


2/3.  DELETE/ADD a company from/to the file.

Occasionally,  new  companies  appear in a file and some of  course,  disappear.
Check that a disappearing company has not just changed sectors.


4.  CHANGE the name of a company.

Often,  the  change of name for a company will effect a change in  its  position
within the file. Option 5 not only copes with changes of position within a file,
but also copes with a change in position from one file to another.


5.  SWAP data from a company's OLD position to its NEW position.

Not  only  is this option essential when in possession of the full database  but
its  ability  to duplicate data for file No 33 is most useful. For example,  you
may  wish to compile a file of companies that you have a particular interest  in
or  already have in your portfolio. Remember to retain the FTSE 100 data in  its
number one position though.


6.  ADJUST previous share prices for scrip/rights issues etc.

In file No 1 there is a fictitious "company" which illustrates what happens when
a  company has a scrip issue of shares. The example shows a "one for one"  issue
and  this  has  had the effect of halving the share price. Use  this  option  to
adjust  the  first  six months by halving those prices too thus  giving  a  true
profile for the share performance.


7.  ADVERT!

You  can  choose to select this option or you will get switched into it  if  you
attempt  to  access a data file not included on the demonstration  disc.  Either
way,  essential  information  is  available here if you  wish  to  purchase  the
complete database or make use of our updating service.

For  clients who purchase the complete database BEFORE April 30th 1990, we  will
hold  the  prices  quoted  for our updating service for 2 years  and  give  free
upgrades of the "SHARESEARCH PC" program as and when they are available.