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Apple Stocks app: a how-to guide
What is the stocks app on iPhone? We'll explain everything you need to know about the built-in iOS app
What's in this guide?
All investing should be regarded as longer term. The value of your investments can go up and down, and you may get back less than you invest. Capital is at risk.
How to read Stocks app
If you’re unfamiliar with the stocks and shares market, you will likely be a bit confused by all the numbers that show up when you open the Apple Stocks app. The handy app allows you to track a variety of data like stock price, stock price change, and market capitalisation in a centrally located interface. By simple tapping the box to the right of a stock you can access all this information.
What do the numbers mean?
Stock price
When you open the Stocks app, the number immediately next to the stock name is the current stock price. This is how much it would cost to buy a single one of those stocks. For example, in the picture below the value for a single Apple (AAPL) stock is 309.51.
Stock price change
The stock price change is also depicted in the box next to the stock price. This number tells you how much the stock price has changed since opening. Below you can see it is -14.36 for Apple (AAPL) in the picture, meaning it has gone down.
Market capitalisation
The market cap can also be found in the box next to the share price. It is the total value of the shares that the company has ever issued, and is used to measure the size of a company. For example, here it is 249.7B for Disney (DIS).
Percentage change
The box next to the stock name also depicts the percentage change. It tells you how much the stock price has changed since opening, in terms of percentage. Here for example, the percentage change is -2.09% for Dow Jones.
Understanding the graph
When you click on any specific stock, you’ll be able to view a graph with a detailed breakdown of the selected share, including its price across time. You can chose how far back you want the data on the graph to go by selecting one of the time frame options above the graph.
The options are: one day (1D), one week (1W), one month (1M), three months (3M), six months (6M), one year (1Y), two years (2Y), and five years (5Y).
You can track the stock price in even more detail by sliding your finger along the graph. This lets you see prices at precise moments in time.
Taking this a step further, if you slide along the graph using two fingers, the Stocks app will calculate the difference in stock price between the two points in time!
Checking performance
The section below the graphs is especially useful, as it gives you a lot of detailed information on the stock you have selected.
Here’s what the figures mean:
- Open: The price of the stock when it opened trading
- Mkt Cap: Market Capitalisation – the total value of the shares the company has ever issued
- High: The highest price the stock has reached since opening
- 52W High: The highest price the stock has reached in the last 52 weeks
- Low: The lowest price the stock has reached since opening
- 52W Low: The lowest price the stock has reached in the last 52 weeks
- Vol: The number of stocks traded since opening
- Avg Vol: The average number of stocks traded per day
- P/E: The price-earnings ratio=share price/earnings per share
- Yield: The amount of money an investor will get back from their investment, aside from capital appreciation (Yield=annual dividend/price of stock)
Along with giving you detailed statistics and information on specific shares and markets, the Stocks app also helps you stay aware of developments in the financial world. By drawing news stories from various media outlets through Apple News, it keeps you updated on all the important stories in the business world. To access these business new stories, all you have to do is swipe up when in the app.
How to manage Stocks
On the iPhone Stocks app, you can also manage which stocks you would like to see, and what order they appear in. The app is easy to tailor to your own interests, so you can add and delete stocks from the home page, and even re-order how they appear.
To manage your stocks, press the three dashes in the bottom right corner of the screen to enter the “manage stocks screen”.
To add a stock to your list:
- Open the manage stock screen by clicking the three dashes in the bottom right.
- Press the plus “+” button in the top left corner.
- Search for the stock you want.
- Select the one you would like to add by clicking on the green ‘+’ symbol.
To delete a stock:
- Go to the manage stocks screen.
- Press the red “-” button to the left of the stock you want to delete.
- Press the “Remove” option that appears to the right of the screen.
To re-arrange stocks
To re-order how the stocks appear on your screen, go to the manage stocks screen. Then press and hold the three dashes to the right of the stock you want to move, and drag it to the position you want it to appear in.
How to control stock notifications
To stay up to date on latest developments without having to open the app, you can add the Stocks widget to your notification centre. To do this:
- Swipe to the left of your iPhone’s home screen to the notifications center.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and hit the “Edit” button.
- Find the Stocks app, and press the “+” symbol to add it to your notification centre.
- Tap “Done” to save.
Can I buy shares on the Apple Stocks app?
No, you can’t buy stock directly using the Apple Stocks app, it is just intended to provide updated information on the stock market, including share prices, and business news. If you’d like to invest in a stock you’ve seen on the Stocks app, you’ll need to open an account with a broker, share-trading platform or app.
Different share-dealing apps and platforms will suit different types of investors, so it’s important to compare a range of options before finding the one that best suits your investment goals and level of experience. You can compare some of the best stock-trading apps for iPhone below.
Best iPhone stock-trading apps
Table: sorted by promoted deals first
All investing should be regarded as longer term. The value of your investments can go up and down, and you may get back less than you invest. Capital is at risk.
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