Yahoo Finance is a mobile app that provides a versatile and user-friendly way to track the stock market in real-time. Whether you’re looking to get a better understanding of how prices fluctuate in the market — with certain companies or in specific sectors — or you’re simply keeping an eye on the status of your personal investment portfolio, Yahoo Finance is a solid medium for staying informed on current market conditions.

In addition, real-time stock quotes, financial news, historical stock charts, and the latest stock research are made freely available to its users.

To get the app, you must first sign up for a Yahoo account (a very simple process). Then, set up your portfolio in order to begin tracking.

Novice investors, or those simply curious about investing, can begin by creating a “Watchlist,” which lets you keep track of the stocks you select.

This is done by clicking “My Portfolio,” going to “My Watchlist,” and then clicking “Add Symbol.” From there, input any ticker symbol for the stocks you’d like to track. If you’re unaware of a particular company’s ticker symbol off-hand, a quick Google search will pop it up.

Yahoo Finance provides comprehensive data on the stocks in your Watchlist, including its average volume, number of shares, last price, recent price and price percentage changes, day and year ranges, as well as market capitalization. If any news regarding your assets is reported, the app will notify you automatically.

If you’ve invested in the stock market, it’s a good idea build a portfolio in the app so you can track your investments. Simple click “My Portfolio,” followed by “Create New Portfolio.” Title your portfolio, indicate the applicable currency, and begin adding the ticker symbols corresponding to your investment portfolio.  

The specifics of your trading information can be tracked by going into the “My Holding” tab, clicking “Add Lot” and inputting your data under the “Lot Value” column. Here you may enter the amount you invested, as well as the date you purchased a particular stock. You are also able to input multiple purchases. Yahoo Finance will then be able to tell you your total profit or loss in real-time.

Be sure to explore the over 70 customization options to find the most suitable way to view the progress of your portfolio, from just-the-basics to more in-depth and area-specific viewing modes.  

For information about the stock market as a whole, take advantage of the Yahoo Finance news features, which shows articles about business news across all business sectors, as well as valuable financial and investing advice.

Other good alternatives to Yahoo Finance include Google Finance, and its Google Finance app. The choice is largely dependent on your preferences. For instance, whether or not you already hold an email account with either Yahoo or Google.

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