2009-02-01T20:32:25-08:00 documentation instructions perfchart 30077 30893 21294 false true false true 25846 3 1 2009-06-29T11:16:48-07:00 StockCharts Support 209470 2009-06-29T11:16:48-07:00 <h1><a name="using_our_interactiv">Using Our Interactive PerfCharts</a></h1> <h2><a name="a1"></a><a name="what_are_perfcharts">What Are PerfCharts?</a></h2> <div class="level2"> <p>Our <strong>Interactive PerfCharts^TM tool</strong> compare the performance over a period of time of up to 10 different stocks, indexes, sectors, or mutual funds. The "Performance" of a ticker is charted relative to its own past performance, or to the performance of other tickers.</p> <p><img class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/perfibm-djia_000.gif" border="0" alt="Perf Chart" title="Perf Chart" /></p> <p>A PerfChart could show you, for example, how well IBM has performed relative to the DJIA over the past 200 days. Not only can PerfCharts provide an answer, but they can also track changes in this relative performance.</p> </div> <h2><a name="a2"></a><a name="why_use_perfcharts">Why Use PerfCharts?</a></h2> <div class="level2"> <p>PerfCharts are highly customizable, allowing the user to make any relative performance comparisons for almost the past 4 years. The interface is very intuitive and the data is easy to interpret, with each ticker being plotted as a different color and organized as tabs at the top of the chart. This allows the user to easily turn on and off the tickers, or isolate certain ones to be charted against each other.</p> <p>Any desire to directly compare indices can be accomplished with PerfCharts. Their user-friendly design makes them both a powerful and fun tool to use for technical analysis.</p> </div> <h2><a name="a3"></a><a name="creating_a_perfchart">Creating A PerfChart</a></h2> <div class="level2"> <p>You can create a custom PerfChart for up to 10 stocks, mutual funds, or indices.</p> <p>The first step in creating a PerfChart is to know the ticker symbols of the securities you are interested in. Each security has a unique symbol, often recognizable by the company name (eg. Microsoft is "msft"). Others are not so obvious, but any active stock can be found in our <a href="http://stockcharts.com/charts/catalog/" title="http://stockcharts.com/charts/catalog/">symbol catalog</a> which can always be accessed by clicking on the link in the top right corner.</p> <p>With the ticker symbol in mind, there are a few different methods of quickly creating your PerfChart:</p> <ul> <li class="level1"> <div class="li">From the StockCharts.com "Member's page and Free Charts page", simply click the <strong>PerfCharts</strong> button, enter up to 10 ticker symbols, then click <img class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/go2_001.gif" border="0" alt="Go Button" title="Go Button" /></div> </li> </ul> <p><img class="medialeft" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/perfchartscolumn.gif" border="0" alt="Perf Column" title="Perf Column" /><img class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/perfsymbols.gif" border="0" alt="Perf Symbols Box" title="Perf Symbols Box" /></p> <hr /> <ul> <li class="level1"> <div class="li">Also from the homepage, you can begin putting together your PerfChart in the Start-a-Chart box by selecting <strong>PerfChart</strong> from the drop-down menu, entering the first ticker, and clicking <img class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/go_001.gif" border="0" alt="Go Button" title="Go Button" />. From this page you can add up to 9 more symbols to your group.</div> </li> </ul> <p><img src="/attachments/861430" border="0" alt="PerfChart.png" /></p> <hr /> <ul> <li class="level1"> <div class="li">Next to the symbol catalog in the middle of almost&nbsp; every page, a PerfChart can be easily created by selecting <strong>PerfChart</strong> from the drop-down menu, entering the first ticker, and clicking <img class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/go_001.gif" border="0" alt="Go Button" title="Go Button" />. From this page you can add up to 9 more symbols to your group. On the homepage select <strong>PerfChart</strong> from the drop-down menu in the Create a Chart box. <br /></div> </li> </ul> <p><img src="/attachments/861440" border="0" alt="perf_chart.png" /></p> <hr /> <ul> <li class="level1"> <div class="li">Finally, you can create a PerfChart by clicking on the Free Charts tab and scrolling down to <strong>PerfChart</strong>. Click <img class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/usethistoolnow.gif" border="0" alt="Use This Tool" title="Use This Tool" /> then enter up to 10 tickers and click <img class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/go2_001.gif" border="0" alt="Go Button" title="Go Button" /></div> </li> </ul> <p><img class="medialeft" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/perfchart3_000.gif" border="0" alt="Free PerfCharts" title="Free PerfCharts" /><img class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/perfsymbols.gif" border="0" alt="Perf Symbols Box" title="Perf Symbols Box" /></p> </div> <h2><a name="a4"></a><a name="predefined_groups_an">Predefined Groups And Intra-Industry Comparisons</a></h2> <div class="level2"> <p>We have a large collection of pre-defined PerfCharts that we feel are very important, including a chart designed by CNBC analyst John Murphy. Using these charts, you can quickly see which sectors are hot, which industries are cold, how the small-caps are faring, and much more.</p> <p><img class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/perfchartspredefined.gif" border="0" alt="Predefined PerfCharts" title="Predefined PerfCharts" /></p> <p>This is why we have assembled important tickers together in our Predefined PerfCharts section located on the <a href="http://stockcharts.com/charts/performance/index.html" title="http://stockcharts.com/charts/performance/index.html">main PerfCharts page</a>. Simply click on one of the links to bring up the predefined PerfChart. Predefined PerfCharts you can select to view in a PerfChart include:</p> <ul> <li class="level1"> <div class="li">Major US Market Averages</div> </li> <li class="level1"> <div class="li">S&amp;P Market Capitalization</div> </li> <li class="level1"> <div class="li">Intermarket Indices</div> </li> <li class="level1"> <div class="li">Commodity Groups</div> </li> <li class="level1"> <div class="li">Amex Sector SPDRs</div> </li> <li class="level1"> <div class="li">US Treasury Bonds</div> </li> <li class="level1">Various Industry Groups<br /></li> <li class="level1"> <br /></li> </ul> <p>Also, many analysts focus on specific industries, and that is why we created particular PerfCharts for intra-industry comparison. Simply click on one of the links to bring up the PerfChart.</p> </div> <h2><a name="a5"></a><a name="interpreting_the_per">Interpreting The PerfChart</a></h2> <div class="level2"> <p><img class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/MarketCapPerfChart.gif" border="0" alt="MartketCap Perf" title="MartketCap Perf" /></p> <p>The PerfChart provides you with all the tools you need to make a solid relative performance analysis. Each ticker you have chosen to chart is given a color and appears at the top of the page as a tab. The beginning of your period will always start at 0%. For example, the chart above shows that the S&amp;P 500 has risen 10.0% over the past 200-days; it's performance relative to 200 days ago is what is being plotted.</p> <p>The horizontal axis displays the range of the period you select (e.g. 200 days), while the vertical axis measures the percent change in the price. The vertical scale will shift to best fit the price action, so 0% may not appear at the bottom of the chart. The specific time frame of the chart is always displayed in the top left.</p> </div> <h2><a name="a6"></a><a name="display_mode">Display Mode</a></h2> <div class="level2"> <p><img class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/displaymode.gif" border="0" alt="Display Mode" title="Display Mode" /></p> <p>PerfCharts work in two different modes: <strong>line graph</strong> and <strong>histogram</strong>. The mode is controlled by the Display Mode buttons at the bottom left of the chart.</p> <p><img class="medialeft" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/line_mode.gif" border="0" alt="Line Mode" title="Line Mode" /><strong>Line Graph</strong> is the default display mode for most predefined charts and all custom charts. Colored lines show performance movements during a given time period.<br /> <br /> <img class="medialeft" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/histogram_mode.gif" border="0" alt="Histogram Mode" title="Histogram Mode" /><strong>Histogram</strong> displays a bar chart that shows shows the final percentage change for each index as a vertical colored bar. It's useful when you are only interested in seeing total performance over a given time period.</p> </div> <h2><a name="a7"></a><a name="stock_bar">Stock Bar</a></h2> <div class="level2"> <p><img class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/stockbar1.gif" border="0" alt="Stock Bar 1" title="Stock Bar 1" /></p> <p>The Stock Bar is located at the top of the chart, showing all the stocks that are displayed and their respective line or bar colors. The Stock Bar has many useful functions:</p> <ul> <li class="level1"> <div class="li">You have the option of making one of the tickers the <strong>baseline</strong> by which all the other tickers are compared. Clicking on one of the tabs in the Stock Bar will make it the baseline, allowing you to determine how well each other stock performed relative to the baseline.</div> </li> </ul> <p>Click any box on the Stock Bar to make that stock the baseline. The box will become grey, the stock's colored line or bar on the chart will flatten along zero, and the other lines/bars will re-draw accordingly. Many people like to use the Standard &amp; Poor's 500 index as a baseline.</p> <p><img class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/baseline1_000.gif" border="0" alt="Baseline" title="Baseline" /></p> <p>In this chart, the NASDAQ was made the baseline. Now we can see that since 30 days ago, all the other major US markets outperformed the NASDAQ, with the AMEX leading the way at 10% over the NASDAQ.</p> <ul> <li class="level1"> <div class="li">You can also right-click any box on the Stock Bar to select from <strong>other charting options</strong> for that ticker.</div> </li> </ul> <p><img class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/stockbar2.gif" border="0" alt="Stock Bar 2" title="Stock Bar 2" /></p> <p>With one click, you can bring up a <a href="http://stockcharts.com/help/doku.php?id=support:sharpcharts" title="support:sharpcharts">SharpChart</a> or a <a href="http://stockcharts.com/help/doku.php?id=support:using_sharpcharts_po" title="support:using_sharpcharts_po">P&amp;F</a> Chart for further analysis of the ticker.</p> <ul> <li class="level1"> <div class="li">Finally, you can <strong>hide</strong> a stock's line or bar on the chart by clicking its colored box. The box becomes empty and the line/bar will disappear from the chart.</div> </li> </ul> <p><img class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/stockbar3.gif" border="0" alt="StockBar 3" title="StockBar 3" /></p> <p>This option can be useful if your chart looks cluttered and it becomes difficult to see details. Click the box again to make the stock's line/bar re-appear.</p> </div> <h2><a name="a8"></a><a name="detaching_the_perfch">Detaching The PerfChart</a></h2> <div class="level2"> <p>To view the chart in a separate, resizeable window, click the <strong>Detach</strong> <img class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/button_detach_001.gif" border="0" alt="Detach Button" title="Detach Button" /> icon in the bottom left corner. Detaching the chart allows you to resize it (even to fullscreen). Closing the detached chart sends it back to the original page.</p> </div> <h2><a name="a9"></a><a name="date_slider">Date Slider</a></h2> <div class="level2"> <p><img class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/date_slider_000.gif" border="0" alt="Date Slider" title="Date Slider" /></p> <p>The <strong>Date Slider Bar</strong> allows you to select the number of days the PerfChart should cover. The total number of days is shown on the center of the slider, and the selected date range is displayed on the top left of the chart.</p> <ul> <li class="level1"> <div class="li">To increase or decrease the total number of days, adjust the length of the bar. Dragging either end outwards will increase the number of days, and dragging them inwards will decrease the number of days. The total number of days displayed on the slider bar will change accordingly.</div> </li> <li class="level1"> <div class="li">To move the date range, grab the center portion of the slider and shift it left or right. You can also click on either of the slider's end arrows to go back or forward one trading day.</div> </li> <li class="level1"> <div class="li">Right-click on the date slider to select one of several pre-defined date ranges.<br /></div> </li> </ul> <p><br /> <strong><em class="u">Keyboard Shortcuts:</em></strong></p> <ul> <li class="level1"> <div class="li"><strong>F1:</strong> see the past week's data</div> </li> <li class="level1"> <div class="li"><strong>F2:</strong> see the past month's data</div> </li> <li class="level1"> <div class="li"><strong>F3:</strong> see the year-to-date data</div> </li> <li class="level1"> <div class="li"><strong>F4:</strong> see the past year's data</div> </li> <li class="level1"> <div class="li"><strong>Arrow Keys:</strong> move the slider left or right</div> </li> <li class="level1"> <div class="li"><strong>Shift + Arrow Keys:</strong> move the left-hand end (changes the beginning date shown)</div> </li> <li class="level1"> <div class="li"><strong>Ctrl + Arrow Keys:</strong> move the right-hand end (changes the end date shown)</div> </li> </ul> </div> <h2><a name="a10"></a><a name="info_box">Info Box</a></h2> <div class="level2"> <p><img class="medialeft" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/perfhover.gif" border="0" alt="Hover" title="Hover" /><br /> <br /> Hover your mouse over any chart line or bar to view a summary box showing the company name, line color, and performance numbers for that particular date.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <img class="medialeft" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/perf_context_menu.gif" border="0" alt="Context Menu" title="Context Menu" /><br /> <br /> You can also right-click anywhere on the chart for other options:</p> <ul> <li class="level1"> <div class="li"><strong>Animate:</strong> An instant slide-show of the chart as it moves across the date range. The date slider moves automatically through the entire range, giving you a quick overview of pattern changes over time. To stop the animation, right-click anywhere on the chart and select Hide Animation.</div> </li> </ul> <ul> <li class="level1"> <div class="li"><strong>Lock/Unlock Y Axis:</strong> Locking the Y Axis will place the zero line in the center of the chart. Unlocking it will let it be positioned automatically depending on the data that's displayed. Locking the Y Axis helps you make comparisons between different date ranges; unlocking the Y axis helps you see as much detail as possible at all times.</div> </li> </ul> <ul> <li class="level1"> <div class="li"><strong>Hide Info Boxes:</strong> Hides the pop-up summary boxes for each stock. If you find the info boxes distracting when running your mouse over the chart, use this option. Turn them back on by right-clicking on the chart and selecting Show Info Boxes.</div> </li> </ul> <ul> <li class="level1"> <div class="li"><strong>Hide Shading:</strong> Removes the background shading of the chart. Get it back by right-clicking on the chart and selecting Show Shading.</div> </li> </ul> </div> <h2><a name="a11"></a><a name="action_bar">Action Bar</a></h2> <div class="level2"> <p><img class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/perf_action_bar_000.gif" border="0" alt="Action Bar" title="Action Bar" /></p> <p>The Action Bar is located below the chart. It contains convenient links that perform common and useful tasks with the chart.</p> <ul> <li class="level1"> <div class="li"><strong>Instructions:</strong> Returns you to this help page.</div> </li> <li class="level1"> <div class="li"><strong>Understanding:</strong> Opens a page where you can learn how to interpret PerfCharts.</div> </li> <li class="level1"> <div class="li"><strong>How to print this chart:</strong> Opens a help page that explains how to print Java charts properly.</div> </li> <li class="level1"> <div class="li"><strong>Java Problems?:</strong> Opens a help page for troubleshooting Java-related problems.</div> </li> </ul> </div> <h2><a name="a12"></a><a name="more_charts">More Charts</a></h2> <div class="level2"> <p><img class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/morecharts1.gif" border="0" alt="More Charts" title="More Charts" /></p> <p>With any of our <span class="curid"><a href="http://stockcharts.com/help/doku.php?id=support:perfcharts#predefined_groups_an" title="support:perfcharts">pre-defined charts</a></span>, you can view other chart types for each of the data sets included in the chart. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and select any of the chart icons.</p> </div> <h2><a name="a13"></a><a name="saving_your_perfchar">Saving Your PerfChart</a></h2> <div class="level2"> <p>To save your chart, add the webpage to your browser's bookmark list (or "Favorites" for Internet Explorer users).</p> </div> <h1><a name="using_our_interactiv">Using Our Interactive PerfCharts</a></h1> <h2><a name="a1"></a><a name="what_are_perfcharts">What Are PerfCharts?</a></h2> <div class="level2"> <p>Our <strong>Interactive PerfCharts^TM tool</strong> compare the performance over a period of time of up to 10 different stocks, indexes, sectors, or mutual funds. The "Performance" of a ticker is charted relative to its own past performance, or to the performance of other tickers.</p> <p><img title="Perf Chart" class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/perfibm-djia_000.gif" border="0" alt="Perf Chart" /></p> <p>A PerfChart could show you, for example, how well IBM has performed relative to the DJIA over the past 200 days. Not only can PerfCharts provide an answer, but they can also track changes in this relative performance.</p> </div> <h2><a name="a2"></a><a name="why_use_perfcharts">Why Use PerfCharts?</a></h2> <div class="level2"> <p>PerfCharts are highly customizable, allowing the user to make any relative performance comparisons for almost the past 4 years. The interface is very intuitive and the data is easy to interpret, with each ticker being plotted as a different color and organized as tabs at the top of the chart. This allows the user to easily turn on and off the tickers, or isolate certain ones to be charted against each other.</p> <p>Any desire to directly compare indices can be accomplished with PerfCharts. Their user-friendly design makes them both a powerful and fun tool to use for technical analysis.</p> </div> <h2><a name="a3"></a><a name="creating_a_perfchart">Creating A PerfChart</a></h2> <div class="level2"> <p>You can create a custom PerfChart for up to 10 stocks, mutual funds, or indices.</p> <p>The first step in creating a PerfChart is to know the ticker symbols of the securities you are interested in. Each security has a unique symbol, often recognizable by the company name (eg. Microsoft is "msft"). Others are not so obvious, but any active stock can be found in our <a href="http://stockcharts.com/charts/catalog/" title="http://stockcharts.com/charts/catalog/">symbol catalog</a> which can always be accessed by clicking on the link in the top right corner.</p> <p>With the ticker symbol in mind, there are a few different methods of quickly creating your PerfChart:</p> <ul> <li class="level1"> <div class="li">From the StockCharts.com "Member's page and Free Charts page", simply click the <strong>PerfCharts</strong> button, enter up to 10 ticker symbols, then click <img title="Go Button" class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/go2_001.gif" border="0" alt="Go Button" /></div> </li> </ul> <p><img title="Perf Column" class="medialeft" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/perfchartscolumn.gif" border="0" alt="Perf Column" /><img title="Perf Symbols Box" class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/perfsymbols.gif" border="0" alt="Perf Symbols Box" /></p> <hr /> <ul> <li class="level1"> <div class="li">Also from the homepage, you can begin putting together your PerfChart in the Start-a-Chart box by selecting <strong>PerfChart</strong> from the drop-down menu, entering the first ticker, and clicking <img title="Go Button" class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/go_001.gif" border="0" alt="Go Button" />. From this page you can add up to 9 more symbols to your group.</div> </li> </ul> <p><img src="/attachments/861430" border="0" alt="PerfChart.png" /></p> <hr /> <ul> <li class="level1"> <div class="li">Next to the symbol catalog in the middle of almost&nbsp; every page, a PerfChart can be easily created by selecting <strong>PerfChart</strong> from the drop-down menu, entering the first ticker, and clicking <img title="Go Button" class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/go_001.gif" border="0" alt="Go Button" />. From this page you can add up to 9 more symbols to your group. On the homepage select <strong>PerfChart</strong> from the drop-down menu in the Create a Chart box. <br /></div> </li> </ul> <p><img src="/attachments/861440" border="0" alt="perf_chart.png" /></p> <hr /> <ul> <li class="level1"> <div class="li">Finally, you can create a PerfChart by clicking on the Free Charts tab and scrolling down to <strong>PerfChart</strong>. Click <img title="Use This Tool" class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/usethistoolnow.gif" border="0" alt="Use This Tool" /> then enter up to 10 tickers and click <img title="Go Button" class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/go2_001.gif" border="0" alt="Go Button" /></div> </li> </ul> <p><img title="Free PerfCharts" class="medialeft" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/perfchart3_000.gif" border="0" alt="Free PerfCharts" /><img title="Perf Symbols Box" class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/perfsymbols.gif" border="0" alt="Perf Symbols Box" /></p> </div> <h2><a name="a4"></a><a name="predefined_groups_an">Predefined Groups And Intra-Industry Comparisons</a></h2> <div class="level2"> <p>We have a large collection of pre-defined PerfCharts that we feel are very important, including a chart designed by CNBC analyst John Murphy. Using these charts, you can quickly see which sectors are hot, which industries are cold, how the small-caps are faring, and much more.</p> <p><img title="Predefined PerfCharts" class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/perfchartspredefined.gif" border="0" alt="Predefined PerfCharts" /></p> <p>This is why we have assembled important tickers together in our Predefined PerfCharts section located on the <a href="http://stockcharts.com/charts/performance/index.html" title="http://stockcharts.com/charts/performance/index.html">main PerfCharts page</a>. Simply click on one of the links to bring up the predefined PerfChart. Predefined PerfCharts you can select to view in a PerfChart include:</p> <ul> <li class="level1"> <div class="li">Major US Market Averages</div> </li> <li class="level1"> <div class="li">S&P Market Capitalization</div> </li> <li class="level1"> <div class="li">Intermarket Indices</div> </li> <li class="level1"> <div class="li">Commodity Groups</div> </li> <li class="level1"> <div class="li">Amex Sector SPDRs</div> </li> <li class="level1"> <div class="li">US Treasury Bonds</div> </li> <li class="level1">Various Industry Groups<br /></li> <li class="level1"> <br /></li> </ul> <p>Also, many analysts focus on specific industries, and that is why we created particular PerfCharts for intra-industry comparison. Simply click on one of the links to bring up the PerfChart.</p> </div> <h2><a name="a5"></a><a name="interpreting_the_per">Interpreting The PerfChart</a></h2> <div class="level2"> <p><img title="MartketCap Perf" class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/MarketCapPerfChart.gif" border="0" alt="MartketCap Perf" /></p> <p>The PerfChart provides you with all the tools you need to make a solid relative performance analysis. Each ticker you have chosen to chart is given a color and appears at the top of the page as a tab. The beginning of your period will always start at 0%. For example, the chart above shows that the S&P 500 has risen 10.0% over the past 200-days; it's performance relative to 200 days ago is what is being plotted.</p> <p>The horizontal axis displays the range of the period you select (e.g. 200 days), while the vertical axis measures the percent change in the price. The vertical scale will shift to best fit the price action, so 0% may not appear at the bottom of the chart. The specific time frame of the chart is always displayed in the top left.</p> </div> <h2><a name="a6"></a><a name="display_mode">Display Mode</a></h2> <div class="level2"> <p><img title="Display Mode" class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/displaymode.gif" border="0" alt="Display Mode" /></p> <p>PerfCharts work in two different modes: <strong>line graph</strong> and <strong>histogram</strong>. The mode is controlled by the Display Mode buttons at the bottom left of the chart.</p> <p><img title="Line Mode" class="medialeft" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/line_mode.gif" border="0" alt="Line Mode" /><strong>Line Graph</strong> is the default display mode for most predefined charts and all custom charts. Colored lines show performance movements during a given time period.<br /> <br /> <img title="Histogram Mode" class="medialeft" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/histogram_mode.gif" border="0" alt="Histogram Mode" /><strong>Histogram</strong> displays a bar chart that shows shows the final percentage change for each index as a vertical colored bar. It's useful when you are only interested in seeing total performance over a given time period.</p> </div> <h2><a name="a7"></a><a name="stock_bar">Stock Bar</a></h2> <div class="level2"> <p><img title="Stock Bar 1" class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/stockbar1.gif" border="0" alt="Stock Bar 1" /></p> <p>The Stock Bar is located at the top of the chart, showing all the stocks that are displayed and their respective line or bar colors. The Stock Bar has many useful functions:</p> <ul> <li class="level1"> <div class="li">You have the option of making one of the tickers the <strong>baseline</strong> by which all the other tickers are compared. Clicking on one of the tabs in the Stock Bar will make it the baseline, allowing you to determine how well each other stock performed relative to the baseline.</div> </li> </ul> <p>Click any box on the Stock Bar to make that stock the baseline. The box will become grey, the stock's colored line or bar on the chart will flatten along zero, and the other lines/bars will re-draw accordingly. Many people like to use the Standard & Poor's 500 index as a baseline.</p> <p><img title="Baseline" class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/baseline1_000.gif" border="0" alt="Baseline" /></p> <p>In this chart, the NASDAQ was made the baseline. Now we can see that since 30 days ago, all the other major US markets outperformed the NASDAQ, with the AMEX leading the way at 10% over the NASDAQ.</p> <ul> <li class="level1"> <div class="li">You can also right-click any box on the Stock Bar to select from <strong>other charting options</strong> for that ticker.</div> </li> </ul> <p><img title="Stock Bar 2" class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/stockbar2.gif" border="0" alt="Stock Bar 2" /></p> <p>With one click, you can bring up a <a href="http://stockcharts.com/help/doku.php?id=support:sharpcharts" title="support:sharpcharts">SharpChart</a> or a <a href="http://stockcharts.com/help/doku.php?id=support:using_sharpcharts_po" title="support:using_sharpcharts_po">P&F</a> Chart for further analysis of the ticker.</p> <ul> <li class="level1"> <div class="li">Finally, you can <strong>hide</strong> a stock's line or bar on the chart by clicking its colored box. The box becomes empty and the line/bar will disappear from the chart.</div> </li> </ul> <p><img title="StockBar 3" class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/stockbar3.gif" border="0" alt="StockBar 3" /></p> <p>This option can be useful if your chart looks cluttered and it becomes difficult to see details. Click the box again to make the stock's line/bar re-appear.</p> </div> <h2><a name="a8"></a><a name="detaching_the_perfch">Detaching The PerfChart</a></h2> <div class="level2"> <p>To view the chart in a separate, resizeable window, click the <strong>Detach</strong> <img title="Detach Button" class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/button_detach_001.gif" border="0" alt="Detach Button" /> icon in the bottom left corner. Detaching the chart allows you to resize it (even to fullscreen). Closing the detached chart sends it back to the original page.</p> </div> <h2><a name="a9"></a><a name="date_slider">Date Slider</a></h2> <div class="level2"> <p><img title="Date Slider" class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/date_slider_000.gif" border="0" alt="Date Slider" /></p> <p>The <strong>Date Slider Bar</strong> allows you to select the number of days the PerfChart should cover. The total number of days is shown on the center of the slider, and the selected date range is displayed on the top left of the chart.</p> <ul> <li class="level1"> <div class="li">To increase or decrease the total number of days, adjust the length of the bar. Dragging either end outwards will increase the number of days, and dragging them inwards will decrease the number of days. The total number of days displayed on the slider bar will change accordingly.</div> </li> <li class="level1"> <div class="li">To move the date range, grab the center portion of the slider and shift it left or right. You can also click on either of the slider's end arrows to go back or forward one trading day.</div> </li> <li class="level1"> <div class="li">Right-click on the date slider to select one of several pre-defined date ranges.<br /></div> </li> </ul> <p><br /> <strong><em class="u">Keyboard Shortcuts:</em></strong></p> <ul> <li class="level1"> <div class="li"><strong>F1:</strong> see the past week's data</div> </li> <li class="level1"> <div class="li"><strong>F2:</strong> see the past month's data</div> </li> <li class="level1"> <div class="li"><strong>F3:</strong> see the year-to-date data</div> </li> <li class="level1"> <div class="li"><strong>F4:</strong> see the past year's data</div> </li> <li class="level1"> <div class="li"><strong>Arrow Keys:</strong> move the slider left or right</div> </li> <li class="level1"> <div class="li"><strong>Shift + Arrow Keys:</strong> move the left-hand end (changes the beginning date shown)</div> </li> <li class="level1"> <div class="li"><strong>Ctrl + Arrow Keys:</strong> move the right-hand end (changes the end date shown)</div> </li> </ul> </div> <h2><a name="a10"></a><a name="info_box">Info Box</a></h2> <div class="level2"> <p><img title="Hover" class="medialeft" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/perfhover.gif" border="0" alt="Hover" /><br /> <br /> Hover your mouse over any chart line or bar to view a summary box showing the company name, line color, and performance numbers for that particular date.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <img title="Context Menu" class="medialeft" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/perf_context_menu.gif" border="0" alt="Context Menu" /><br /> <br /> You can also right-click anywhere on the chart for other options:</p> <ul> <li class="level1"> <div class="li"><strong>Animate:</strong> An instant slide-show of the chart as it moves across the date range. The date slider moves automatically through the entire range, giving you a quick overview of pattern changes over time. To stop the animation, right-click anywhere on the chart and select Hide Animation.</div> </li> </ul> <ul> <li class="level1"> <div class="li"><strong>Lock/Unlock Y Axis:</strong> Locking the Y Axis will place the zero line in the center of the chart. Unlocking it will let it be positioned automatically depending on the data that's displayed. Locking the Y Axis helps you make comparisons between different date ranges; unlocking the Y axis helps you see as much detail as possible at all times.</div> </li> </ul> <ul> <li class="level1"> <div class="li"><strong>Hide Info Boxes:</strong> Hides the pop-up summary boxes for each stock. If you find the info boxes distracting when running your mouse over the chart, use this option. Turn them back on by right-clicking on the chart and selecting Show Info Boxes.</div> </li> </ul> <ul> <li class="level1"> <div class="li"><strong>Hide Shading:</strong> Removes the background shading of the chart. Get it back by right-clicking on the chart and selecting Show Shading.</div> </li> </ul> </div> <h2><a name="a11"></a><a name="action_bar">Action Bar</a></h2> <div class="level2"> <p><img title="Action Bar" class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/perf_action_bar_000.gif" border="0" alt="Action Bar" /></p> <p>The Action Bar is located below the chart. It contains convenient links that perform common and useful tasks with the chart.</p> <ul> <li class="level1"> <div class="li"><strong>Instructions:</strong> Returns you to this help page.</div> </li> <li class="level1"> <div class="li"><strong>Understanding:</strong> Opens a page where you can learn how to interpret PerfCharts.</div> </li> <li class="level1"> <div class="li"><strong>How to print this chart:</strong> Opens a help page that explains how to print Java charts properly.</div> </li> <li class="level1"> <div class="li"><strong>Java Problems?:</strong> Opens a help page for troubleshooting Java-related problems.</div> </li> </ul> </div> <h2><a name="a12"></a><a name="more_charts">More Charts</a></h2> <div class="level2"> <p><img title="More Charts" class="media" src="http://stockcharts.com/help/data/media/support/images/percharts/morecharts1.gif" border="0" alt="More Charts" /></p> <p>With any of our <span class="curid"><a href="http://stockcharts.com/help/doku.php?id=support:perfcharts#predefined_groups_an" title="support:perfcharts">pre-defined charts</a></span>, you can view other chart types for each of the data sets included in the chart. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and select any of the chart icons.</p> </div> <h2><a name="a13"></a><a name="saving_your_perfchar">Saving Your PerfChart</a></h2> <div class="level2"> <p>To save your chart, add the webpage to your browser's bookmark list (or "Favorites" for Internet Explorer users).</p> </div> 2009-02-01T20:32:25-08:00 21294 30077 25846 2009-06-29T11:16:48-07:00 209470