Stock Quotes, Internet Style

Stock quotes have come a long way.  No longer are you forced to sift through newsprint to find cryptic symbols and numbers that few care about or understand.  A quote on the Internet can convey more information on a company than an army of accountants could decipher 20 years ago.  In a matter of minutes, online quotes can be used to download company reports, research competitors, investigate potential legal problems, and thoroughly analyze the financial conditions of the company in a matter of minutes.  Online stock quotes can also be used to review company growth rates, test if the company is a bargain using hundreds of valuation techniques, and monitor ownership/activity by insiders.  Online quotes can even be used as a vehicle to chat with other investors.

Unfortunately, with all the power of electronic information comes the abuse.  Day traders using Internet tools and sophisticated online quote services play a high stakes form of Internet gambling with widely publicized consequences.  This practice has in some ways blinded society to the true power and benefit of financial information on the Internet.

When investors for the right reasons use Internet information to make financial decisions, the potential is enormous.  At your fingertips is the financial library for the entire world.  If you are willing to do a little research, there's almost nothing you cannot determine.