The stock market uses a complex system of stock prices and stock quotes to let investors know the status of publicly traded companies. Deciphering this information can be difficult, especially for beginners.

It is imperative that you fully understand how to read and interpret stock quotes prior to investing in the stock market. Consider the following suggestions to help you understand stock quotes basics:

1. Know how to read the information presented to you in a stock quote.

2. Learn about the past, present and predicted stock quotes for companies in which you want to invest.

3. Check the current stock prices for your investment portfolio.

4. Get stock quotes on your cell phone or PDA to stay connected with your investments at all times.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Learn how to read stock quotes

Before you can invest in stocks, you have to understand how to read stock quotes. Each stock exchange offers stock quotes basics in a different format. Therefore, if you plan to buy and sell stocks on multiple exchanges, you should become familiar with the stock quote information for each exchange.

I recommend: Dolans.com offers easy to understand definitions of stock quote jargon. TeenAnalyst.com has a simplified explanation of stock quote information. Pace University features detailed information to help you understand stock quote information for various stock exchanges.

Research stock quotes

Once you understand how to read stock quotes, you should research the companies in which you plan to invest. You can hire a company to help you research stock quotes or you can do the work yourself. In either case, you need to find out the past quotes, current quote and predicted quotes for the companies.

I recommend: You can find research information for stock quotes on InvestorGuide.com. This company offers research by stock symbol to lessen the chance of making a mistake. Fool.com offers recommendations for stocks to invest in and tells you how to read stock symbols.

Get real time stock quotes

Getting real time stock quotes helps you to keep track of your investments. Many financial websites allow you to start an account or register with the website to get stock quote alerts for companies you invest in.

I recommend: Zecco offers realtime stock quotes. If you need to practice your investing skills, this website offers a practice investment account. MSN Money offers live stock quotes, including OTC stock quotes. You can customize the information you receive if you register or sign in with your MSN ID.

Stay informed by getting current stock prices on your phone or PDA

When the stock market is volatile, you may need access to stock prices and quotes instantly, regardless of your location. Programs are available that allow you to get stock quotes or updates on your cell phone or PDA. Before you buy a stock quote program, decide if you need real time quotes or delayed quotes. Make sure the program you buy offers the type of quotes you need.

I recommend: StockQuotesMobile and Qweas both offer mobile stock market quotes and trading software. Some of the programs offer live stock quotes and others offer delayed stock quotes.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Before you invest in the stock market, even if you have thoroughly researched stock quotes and share prices, figure out the total amount of money you can stand to lose. The stock market is a gamble that can leave you financially devastated if you don't plan your investments carefully.

Want free stock quotes online? Dive in! But be a savvy stock quote consumer. While websites offering free stock quotes are abundant, the quality and usefulness of the tools, add-ons and information surrounding the free quotes vary dramatically.

The trick is not simply finding quotes. That's easy. It's finding a website that not only provides the quotes, but also:

     1) Has them with a minimum delay (most free quotes are delayed 15-20 minutes).
     2) Offers a sophisticated service (also free) that lets you create and track quotes for multiple, customized portfolios of stocks that you select -- perhaps stocks you own, or simply want to watch.
     3) Lets you select your own customized view of information on each portfolio, including such things as current bid/ask prices, 12-month high/low, P/E ratio, dividend and yield, last trade, volume, shares owned and price paid, or dozens of others.
     4) Offers 'streaming quotes' which constantly and automatically update while you are logged on. Some let you turn this feature on and off.
     5) Doesn't inundate you unduly with obnoxious ads and sales pitches. Since quotes are free, you have to expect a little of this. But some sites are subtle; others use brickbats.
     6) Links to the latest news stories, government filings, company financials and buy/sell recommendations on the stocks you've selected.
     7) Stock price charts that you can customize to different time periods, from a day to 5+ years.
     8) And yes, all of the above should be free. Plus, the site should offer other stock investment resources, both free and paid, such as research reports and real-time quotes (which usually cost money, compared to free but delayed quotes).

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get free stock quotes, portfolio tracking and more all in one place

Some major sites you may already visit offer impressive stock quote and custom portfolio tracking

I recommend: Yahoo! Finance is a fabulous (and free) place where you can satisfy your hunger for stock quotes and a whole lot more, including company financials, historical prices, news and market stats. The 'Stock Watch' service will alert you by email when a stock rises or falls according to criteria you set. At CNBC.com you can create as many stock 'watch lists' as you want. Likewise, MarketWatch has free tools for quotes, alerts, portfolios and charting that are easy to use. And just about every brokerage firm website on the planet offers stock quotes, too. But unless you have an account there, you'll get more punch at sites like Yahoo, MarketWatch and CNBC.  

Eliminate delays with real-time quotes

Real-time quotes deliver stock pricing as it's happening with no delays.

I recommend: While delayed stock quotes are free, real-time stock quote services generally charge a fee. MarketTracker, Yahoo! Finance's real-time quote service, for example, charges $10.95 per month billed annually ($13.95 billed monthly). Another service, eSignal, offers an arsenal of streaming, real-time stock quotes and charts that you can customize, plus seminars on successful stock trading tactics. PC Quote offers a menu of web-based products from dynamically updating real-time data to free delayed market quotes. FreeRealTime.com is among the few sites offering some types of real time info free.

See our other stock investing How-To Guides

How-To Guides on Work.com and Business.com can help you locate all the tools and resources you need to be successful at investing in stocks.

I recommend: Other top-rated How-To Guides on successful stock market investing include: Stock Trading: Success in both bull and bear markets; Stocks (Equities) and Stock Investing; and Online Stock Trading: How to buy and sell stocks like the pros.

Stock market prices are in constant flux during the times that the trading markets are open. You can get these prices from the stick market ticker showing current stock prices. Stock market quotes are the easiest way to know the current value of any given stock, so many companies and individuals prefer to access realtime stock quotes throughout the day to watch investments grow or decline.

Those working in jobs close to the market should be able to read a stock streamer and know what to pay attention to throughout the trading day. Stock quotes education and training can be found through many sources, including:

1. Education in finance and investments.

2. Training courses that provide basic OTC stock quotes information.

3. Online educational resources such as a stock quote service.

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Earn a college degree to learn advanced knowledge of over the counter stock quotes

Because there are so many topics to cover when a person wants to learn about stock quotes, general investment and financial knowledge is the key to quickly learning and understanding stock quotes, what the quotes mean, and how to use that information to make future financial decisions.

I recommend: Those looking to earn a degree in investment banking should take courses such as those outlined in the investment banking MBA degree offered by Indiana University. Kogod School of Business offers a concentration in corporate finance and investment banking as well.

Take training courses to better understand the effects of share prices

Once you have the basic financial knowledge to understand topics in investment banking, the next step is to take courses that are specific to learning the way that stock prices affect the market, how to buy and sell, and what to know about the different types of stocks available.

I recommend: The Street has stock training on all types of topics, including how to pick stocks, strategies according to stock prices, and more. AccuInvest provides training classes, seminars, and many online options to learn more about stock prices and stock options.

Find educational resources to learn the basics of real time stock quotes

Many stock quote services and independent financial information sites will also offer additional information to customers that will help them read stock quotes and use this information to make informed investment decisions. This training and education is often free for those who use the service.

I recommend: Stock Market Investors provides a guide on how to read stock market tables, which are an essential part to understanding a stock's value for a given period of time. Stock Jargon is another source that provides basic information on reading stock quotes.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you work with a stock quote service, you may be able to learn how to read live stock quotes from tools in your account interface.

Successful investing in the stock market requires knowledge of stock symbols and quotes. There are various different types of quotes, including real-time quotes and delayed quotes. In addition, the actual stock symbol varies depending on the particular exchange where the stock is traded. By understanding where to find stock quotes and how to read them, you may increase your chances of successful stock market investment. Here are a few terms to get you started.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Free investment sites

Free investment sites are a great place for free stock quotes and other financial information. Free sites like Yahoo Finance, Investopedia.com and Stockcharts.com perform a variety of different financial services. Investors may use all of these and other sites to keep track of stocks they own and keep informed about stocks they are considering.

I recommend: Visit Stock Trading to Go for detailed information about specific investment sites.

Real time quotes

Real time stock quotes are essential for investors who are trading or working in the market on a daily basis. Real time quotes represent accurate prices for stocks at any point in time during the day. To obtain real time quotes investors must subscribe to a particular service, as well as install special software or web browser plug-ins.

I recommend: All Business offers additional information about real time quotes.

Delayed stock quotes

Delayed stock quotes represent market quotes that are several minutes old. Delayed stock quotes are typically free and available to all investors, but because they are 10 minutes or more old, it is possible that they are not accurate.

I recommend: For free delayed stock quotes go to Allstocks.com.

Stock symbol

The stock symbol consists of a collection of letters used to identify a particular security. Stocks that are listed on the New York Stock Exchange or the American Stock Exchange have stock symbols consisting of three or less characters, while stocks listed on the NASDAQ consist of a minimum four or five characters.

I recommend: Investopedia provides a more detailed explanation of why some stock symbols have three characters and some have four.

Stock symbol extension

Stock symbol extensions are abbreviations that are added to the end of a stock symbol to help the investor better understand the stock listing. Multiple stock symbol extensions may be added to the end of a stock symbol with each one separated by a period. An example of a stock symbol extension includes PR which means Preferred and might look like this: MSFT.PR.

I recommend: TMX Money provides specific examples of stock symbol extensions in their glossary of stock market terms.

Tick

A tick is the smallest upward or downward movement in the price of a stock. If the price of a stock goes up, it is referred to as an uptick, conversely, if the price falls it is a downtick. Originally, the tick was counted in fractions of a dollar but it has since changed to decimals. The ticker tape shows the price of each trade as it takes place.

I recommend: For another detailed definition of a tick go to Finance Glossary.