The Many Sides Of One Stock Quote

If you have ever looked up a stock quote, then you have seen that a simple quote actually contains several numbers. What are they all for?

Several prices are provided to tell you the range of prices for the day or the year, the change from the previous day’s close and the prices at which you can expect to pay or receive if you buy or sell stock.

Here is a sample quote followed by a list of the prices along with an explanation of each:

Photo by ArtemFinland, courtesy of flickr

Oracle (Ticker: ORCL) – $19.87

Last trade – $19.87 – This is the last price paid for shares of the stock.

Bid - $20.42 – There is a dealer willing to pay you $20.42 per share if you will sell the stock. This particular dealer is looking for an order from someone who wishes to sell 200 shares.

Ask – $20.45 – There is a dealer willing to sell shares for $20.45 each, so this is the price you would have to pay in order to buy shares. The dealer is looking for someone to buy 900 shares at this price.

Open - $20.21 – This was the price of Oracle’s shares at the market’s open. This price can differ from the previous day’s closing price due to after hours trading.

Previous Close – $19.97 – The price of the stock at the market’s close on the previous day. Today’s activity (listed as “Change” in the quote) is measured relative to the previous close.

Day’s Range - $19.73 -  $20.21 – The lowest and highest price over the course of the trading day. The range applies to trades placed during regular hours.

52 wk Range – The lowest and highest price over the past 52 weeks.

So, the search for one price leads you to nine. The price you need to trade on will depend on whether you are buying or selling, but they are all good to know.