A stock ticker is a simple way to check the price of a stock. Stock tickers originally used a paper ribbon with tick marks on it. As technology developed, these tickers began to be replaced with shorter codes for company names. Today, you can even find stocks listed under the symbol of your favorite restaurant.
A stock ticker shows three important pieces of information: the Ticker Symbol, the price, and the volume of a stock. The ticker also shows the price the stock has changed since the last trade. Listed after the price is an up or down arrow to show the direction of the price movement.
Stock tickers are also useful for those who want to keep track of market index performance. You can find them on commercial TV and radio programs, and on billboards. They display a small selection of stocks in any given time. The most frequently shown stocks are those with the largest volume and biggest price changes. However, these tickers do not always display current market data.
While not every stock is included on a stock ticker, traders still use these signs to keep track of stock prices. A stock ticker will include the prices of popular companies, major exchanges, and any unusual activity.
