Understanding BISX

Do you really, really know what the numbers mean when you look at the BISX listing of securities traded in the business section of the daily newspapers? Or are you confused by all of the jargon? Well you don’t have to be anymore.

Here's another installment to help you with getting your investing game on!

• Price: The current price of the investment
• Previous close: The price at the end of the prior trading day.
• Change: The difference between the current price and the previous close.
• 52-Week High, Low: Highest and lowest price during the preceding 52-week period.
• Dividend: The dividend per share denoted in a dollar amount.
• Yield: The dividend computed as a percentage of the current stock price.
• PE: Price-to-earning ratio, derived from dividing the company's stock price per share by earnings per share. This is one of my favorite gauges of whether a stock is overvalued or not. Stocks with large P/E ratios have to show quick growth to meet analysts' expectations.
• Volume: Number of shares sold during the day.
• Market capitalization: The total market value of a company, derived by
• multiplying the current price per share by the number of shares available.

Got a question about financial or retirement issues you're facing - any question at all.Just Ask Glenn!