The Stock Market is an invisible market that trades in stocks of various companies belonging to both the public and private sectors. The Indian Stock Market is often referred to as the Share Market since it deals primarily with shares of various companies.
Stock Market Quotes are a list of prices of stocks of various companies at a particular point of time during a trading day. Such quotes provide informations on the price of stocks given by top institutions belonging to the capital market in response to requests by investors at different points of time. These quotes allow the investors to make the optimum choices with regard to their investments over a period of time. Previously, the Stock Market of India used to quote the stocks of the enlisted companies in fractions. But now the decimal system is used for convenience. Stocks are quoted either in real time or involve a delay of 15 minutes.
The Stock Market Quotes are often presented in an “easy-to-read” sector-wise format that helps to compare among peer groups. Most Stock Tables cover over 800 stocks listed both on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) as well as on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) . The table gives the name of the company, the last traded price and the ratio between the percentage change and percentage earnings which is known as the (P/E) ratio all in that order. The contents of the last column varies according to the days of the week as illustrated in the following manner:
- Tuesday – Market capitalization of the company.
- Wednesday – Net profit as reported in the last financial year.
- Thursday – The ratio of total dividend paid to net profit in the previous financial period.
- Friday – Traded volume.
- Saturday – 52-week estimate of high or low prices.
The market remains closed for the remaining two days of the week.
The format also divides the sectoral category into Frontline and Midcap Stocks . A 5 % and 10 % rise or fall frontline and midcap stocks respectively is considered significant.
A set of conventional symbols and abbreviations is also used to help readers in tracking their stock portfolios. Such symbols and abbreviations which are used before the company's name are:
- Used when stock is on the indices of both exchanges and is group-A stock on BSE .
- The is on group-A of BSE and also belongs to the index at NSE .
- The stocks have a face value other than Rs. 10 (while most stocks have face value of Rs. 10).
CD - Stock cum dividend.
XD - Ex-dividend stock.
CB - Cum bonus scrip.
XB - Ex-bonus scrip.
Source : Asian CERC
