Investment

How Microsoft Excel can improve your investing strategy – Financial Post

Published

4 years ago

June 14, 2020

This article was created by StackCommerce in partnership with Content Works, Postmedia’s commercial content division. While Postmedia may collect a commission on sales through the links on this page, we are not being paid by the brands mentioned.

Microsoft Excel is one of the most ubiquitous office programs on the planet. It’s used in practically every industry as a spreadsheet tool, to organize data, to perform business analysis, and much more. But you may not have considered it as a viable financial tool.

That’s a mistake. Excel is loaded with formulas and functions that can help investors see improved gains and avoid significant losses. You may already have a working knowledge of Excel but when you become a real expert, you can use it guide your investing strategy. Excel’s versatile and robust tools make it an ideal financial companion, especially if you already have a base understanding of the program. If you have yet to explore Excel’s advanced features, The Complete 2020 Microsoft Excel Expert Bundle is a solid starting point, and it’s on sale for just $29.99 USD.

Customization

Excel allows you to customize your spreadsheets and charts to see exactly what you want and need to see. Considering your investment strategy likely changes frequently, Excel allows you to surface or hide the data you need whenever you need so you don’t get bogged down in excess detail. Whether you’re focusing on a specific set of penny stocks or want to view only your high-value stocks, Excel lets you do that. With extensive customization comes extensive control. You’ll learn how to make that customization work for you in The Complete 2020 Microsoft Excel Expert Bundle.

Organization

Organization is crucial when it comes to investing, especially if you’re day trading. Chances are, you’re tracking an obscene amount of data that the human brain can’t comprehend all at once. With Excel’s organizational tools, you can organize your entire portfolio via multiple tabs and find what you need when you need it.

Tracking

Excel gives you a remarkable amount of insight into stock data. With Excel’s organizational tools, you can easily input stock data into worksheets and then use its calculation power to make investing decisions. Excel can help guide your future investment decisions and gauge the success of past investments with formulas and analytical tools like PivotTables. In the Power Pivot, Power Query, and DAX course, you’ll learn how to use these tools to manage data at scale.

Projecting

As mentioned a moment ago, Excel’s robust formulas can be incredibly useful in tracking the stock market. They can also be valuable in projecting the future, too. For instance, the Future Value (FV) formula allows you to use past market data to project what an individual stock may be worth a year or longer from now. Additionally, the Growth Rate (RATE) formula can show you the rate at which a stock has grown or declined over the past years to help you better identify patterns and find the best time to invest.

Ready to start earning more by tracking your own stock data? Take the first step by better understanding Excel with The Complete 2020 Microsoft Excel Expert Bundle, available now for just $29.99 USD.

Prices subject to change. Software not included.

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Economy

S&P/TSX composite down more than 200 points, U.S. stock markets also fall

Published

1 week ago

September 6, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was down more than 200 points in late-morning trading, weighed down by losses in the technology, base metal and energy sectors, while U.S. stock markets also fell.

The S&P/TSX composite index was down 239.24 points at 22,749.04.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 312.36 points at 40,443.39. The S&P 500 index was down 80.94 points at 5,422.47, while the Nasdaq composite was down 380.17 points at 16,747.49.

The Canadian dollar traded for 73.80 cents US compared with 74.00 cents US on Thursday.

The October crude oil contract was down US$1.07 at US$68.08 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.26 per mmBTU.

The December gold contract was down US$2.10 at US$2,541.00 an ounce and the December copper contract was down four cents at US$4.10 a pound.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD)

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Economy

S&P/TSX composite up more than 150 points, U.S. stock markets also higher

Published

2 weeks ago

August 29, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 150 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in technology, financial and energy stocks, while U.S. stock markets also pushed higher.

The S&P/TSX composite index was up 171.41 points at 23,298.39.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 278.37 points at 41,369.79. The S&P 500 index was up 38.17 points at 5,630.35, while the Nasdaq composite was up 177.15 points at 17,733.18.

The Canadian dollar traded for 74.19 cents US compared with 74.23 cents US on Wednesday.

The October crude oil contract was up US$1.75 at US$76.27 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.10 per mmBTU.

The December gold contract was up US$18.70 at US$2,556.50 an ounce and the December copper contract was down less than a penny at US$4.22 a pound.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD)

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Investment

Crypto Market Bloodbath Amid Broader Economic Concerns

Published

1 month ago

August 5, 2024

Harry Miller

The crypto market has recently experienced a significant downturn, mirroring broader risk asset sell-offs. Over the past week, Bitcoin’s price dropped by 24%, reaching $53,000, while Ethereum plummeted nearly a third to $2,340. Major altcoins also suffered, with Cardano down 27.7%, Solana 36.2%, Dogecoin 34.6%, XRP 23.1%, Shiba Inu 30.1%, and BNB 25.7%.

The severe downturn in the crypto market appears to be part of a broader flight to safety, triggered by disappointing economic data. A worse-than-expected unemployment report on Friday marked the beginning of a technical recession, as defined by the Sahm Rule. This rule identifies a recession when the three-month average unemployment rate rises by at least half a percentage point from its lowest point in the past year.

Friday’s figures met this threshold, signaling an abrupt economic downshift. Consequently, investors sought safer assets, leading to declines in major stock indices: the S&P 500 dropped 2%, the Nasdaq 2.5%, and the Dow 1.5%. This trend continued into Monday with further sell-offs overseas.

The crypto market’s rapid decline raises questions about its role as either a speculative asset or a hedge against inflation and recession. Despite hopes that crypto could act as a risk hedge, the recent crash suggests it remains a speculative investment.

Since the downturn, the crypto market has seen its largest three-day sell-off in nearly a year, losing over $500 billion in market value. According to CoinGlass data, this bloodbath wiped out more than $1 billion in leveraged positions within the last 24 hours, including $365 million in Bitcoin and $348 million in Ether.

Khushboo Khullar of Lightning Ventures, speaking to Bloomberg, argued that the crypto sell-off is part of a broader liquidity panic as traders rush to cover margin calls. Khullar views this as a temporary sell-off, presenting a potential buying opportunity.

Josh Gilbert, an eToro market analyst, supports Khullar’s perspective, suggesting that the expected Federal Reserve rate cuts could benefit crypto assets. “Crypto assets have sold off, but many investors will see an opportunity. We see Federal Reserve rate cuts, which are now likely to come sharper than expected, as hugely positive for crypto assets,” Gilbert told Coindesk.

Despite the recent volatility, crypto continues to make strides toward mainstream acceptance. Notably, Morgan Stanley will allow its advisors to offer Bitcoin ETFs starting Wednesday. This follows more than half a year after the introduction of the first Bitcoin ETF. The investment bank will enable over 15,000 of its financial advisors to sell BlackRock’s IBIT and Fidelity’s FBTC. This move is seen as a significant step toward the “mainstreamization” of crypto, given the lengthy regulatory and company processes in major investment banks.

The recent crypto market downturn highlights its volatility and the broader economic concerns affecting all risk assets. While some analysts see the current situation as a temporary sell-off and a buying opportunity, others caution against the speculative nature of crypto. As the market evolves, its role as a mainstream alternative asset continues to grow, marked by increasing institutional acceptance and new investment opportunities.