How can I get a stock ticker on my computer?

What is a stock ticker? A stock ticker is a software program that can often be downloaded free of charge off of the Internet. It allows you to see what changes the stock market is experiencing at any given time by displaying stock or ticker symbols as well as their latest value. A stock symbol or ticker symbol is a mnemonic used to uniquely identify shares of a publicly-traded corporation on a particular stock market. A stock symbol may consist of letters, numbers or a combination of both. The word, "ticker" is specific to U.S. stock symbols.

History of stock tickers: Stock tickers have their origins way back to Thomas Edison. The first communication of stock prices was known as the Laws Gold Indicator, named after S.S. Laws in 1867. It was a device that displayed the price of gold by using double-faced panels that flipped to the appropriate numbers. One side of the panel faced out the window of the Gold Exchange and was visible to New Street and the other side of the panel was visible to the traders inside the exchange.

This system evolved over time and eventually the telegraph, the Universal and then the self-winding stock tickers were used to communicate stock prices. However, during the stock market crash of October 1929, the mechanical printers could not keep up with the volume of trades. It was clear that a new and faster ticker was needed. By 1934 the black box or stock ticker machine was in full operation. In 1960, The New York Quotation Company introduced the last mechanical ticker. Stock ticker machines became obsolete in the 1960s, replaced by computer networks. The term stock "ticker" has remained though, named for the ticking sound made by the telegraphs.

Why use a stock ticker? As an investor in today's fast paced world, it would be wise to stay on top of what the market is experiencing at any given time. By simply downloading free software you can follow the ups and downs of the stock market and be able to make informed decisions about your buy and sell strategies.

How can I get a stock ticker on my computer? There are many different options available over the Internet. A simple search will provide you with all sorts of companies advertising their free stock ticker downloads. The software does not usually require a lot of computer space but it does require an Internet connection.

You are often able to customize the stock tickers with your own choice of stock symbols that you would like to see displayed. Most limit the number of symbols displayed though and require you to register and pay a shareware fee in order to have unlimited symbols. Other features may include customized color scheme changing, size adjustments, adjusting scroll speed, storing several custom streams, and allow you to place the ticker anywhere on your desktop. Additionally, there are some that offer message board features to communicate with other investors. However, this is another feature you may have to register in order to use.

After you download the free software, double-click on the icon to install the ticker and create a desktop icon. The installation process will create a desktop icon and also provide a menu in your Programs folder with both launch and uninstall shortcut icons. If you want to automatically start your ticker when you start your computer, simply drag the desktop icon to your Start up menu folder. After that it is just a matter of customizing your ticker to your needs and preferences. Happy ticking!