Using
Prophet JavaCharts
®
Welcome to the Most Powerful Charts on the Web!
Using Prophet JavaCharts
Contents
Chart Basics ...4
Creating a Chart...4
Enlarging the Chart...5
Reading Market Data and Study Values ...5
Zooming In, Zooming Out ...6
Changing the Cursor Guide ...6
Streaming Charts...7
Trouble With Streaming...7
Viewing Multiple Charts ...8
Technical Studies...9
Adding Lower Studies / Multiple Indicator Windows...9
Applying Studies on Studies ...10
Combining Lower Studies ...11
Changing Study Parameters ...11
Saving Your Studies / Creating Study Sets ...12
Creating Comparison Charts ...13
Drawing Tools ... 14
Adding Trendlines...14
Changing the Color of a Trendline ...14
Deleting Trendlines and Other Drawn Objects ...14
Drawing Channels...15
Adding a Horizontal Price Level...16
Adding Text Notes...16
Highlighting Areas of the Chart...17
Fibonacci Studies... 18
Fibonacci Basics...18
Fibonacci Retracement Levels...19
Fibonacci Fans ...20
Fibonacci Arcs...21
Fibonacci Time Zones...22
Customizing Fibonacci Levels...23
Using Watch Lists in JavaCharts ... 28
Managing Your Watch Lists ...28
Flipping Quickly Through Your Charts ...28
Keyboard Shortcut for Flip Charts ...29
Tagging Symbols in Your Watch Lists...29
Using Move and Copy to Manage Your Watch Lists ...29
Adjusting the Left-Panel Size ...30
View by Company Name or Symbol...30
Stock Information... 31
Looking Up a Stock Symbol ...31
Viewing Stock News ...31
Finding the Ratio for a Stock Split (Yellow Triangles) ...32
Charting Futures Markets ... 33
Futures Symbology...33
Month Codes for Futures Contracts...33
Open Interest ...34
Futures Data from the GLOBEX...34
Continuous Futures Contracts ...35
Using the Futures Wizard ...35
Charting Stock Options ... 38
Options Symbology ...39
The Options Wizard ...40
Sharing Charts & Ideas ... 42
Printing Charts ...42
Sending Charts Via Email ...43
Sending Feedback / Requesting New Features ...43
Troubleshooting ... 44
Restart the Browser ...44
Clear the Cache ...44
Run a Browser Check...44
Chart Basics
This manual provides a complete overview of features in Prophet JavaCharts. Some “power features” are available with a Prophet.Net Premium Membership:
n Gold — maximum power, personalization, and convenience, at a fraction of the price of competing software-based systems. Real-time data available for equities, options, and futures
n Silver — the best value for active equities traders. Includes streaming charts, quotes, and portfolios
n Bronze — for savvy investors and chartists who don’t require live market data
For information about memberships at Prophet.Net, follow this link: n http://www.prophet.net/upgrade/memberships.jsp
Creating a Chart
To chart a stock, enter its stock symbol in the Symbol field and click Go (or press Return). You can choose from five different chart types using the menu next to the Go button; the default chart style is a Bar chart showing open, high, low, and close values.
Additional menus let you change the chart duration - from 1 to 60 days of intraday data, or from 1 month to over 30 years of daily stock data - as well as the chart frequency.
Enlarging the Chart
You can resize Prophet JavaCharts to fill the entire screen. The JavaCharts applet starts “attached” to the browser page. Click the “Detach” button in the lower-left corner to “float” the applet.
Once the applet is detached, you can resize the charts and adjust the aspect ratio by dragging the lower-right corner of the applet. Or double-click the title bar to make the applet fill the entire screen.
Reading Market Data and Study Values
For historical price quotes, move the cursor over the price bar that you are interested in and read the data below the stock name.
D shows the date for the bar that your mouse is currently over. O is the opening price, H is the high, L is the low, and C is the close. R represents the day’s range, or the difference between the day’s high and low. Y is the current position of cursor on the price axis.
Zooming In, Zooming Out
To zoom in on a portion of the main chart, click and drag your mouse from the starting date to the end date. The chart will redraw with just the time period you are interested in, which makes it easier to see the details. To return to the full duration of the chart, double-click the chart or select Unzoom from the Tools menu at the top of the chart.
You can also zoom in and out using the magnifying glass icons at the bottom of the applet. Clicking each icon zooms in (or out) by half the chart duration. Once you’ve zoomed in, use the scroll bar to pan across the chart.
Changing the Cursor Guide
Streaming Charts
To activate streaming, click the Streaming Charts checkbox at the lower-left panel. Whether you choose bar frequencies of 1 minute or 2 hours, you’ll see the latest quote updating on the price axis, as well as in the upper-left panel. With real-time data, you’ll also be able to view live bid/ask values.
Trouble With Streaming
For most users, the default Turbo streaming mode provides optimal performance for streaming charts.
Viewing Multiple Charts
With JavaCharts, you can view multiple charts without loading
Technical Studies
Adding Lower Studies / Multiple Indicator Windows
You can add studies one-by-one by using the tree in the left panel. (If you wish to make the left panel wider, use the Tools menu to choose the Left-Panel Size.)
Click “Show Last Value” to display the last value in the indicator legend.
Applying Studies on Studies
Combining Lower Studies
Some technicians find it useful to superimpose two studies in a single indicator window. You can overlay the same study with different parameters, or combine two or more different studies.
First choose Apply Studies from the Tools menu. Add the studies you wish to use, and then check the box labeled “Superimpose Lower Studies.”
Changing Study Parameters
Saving Your Studies / Creating Study Sets
Once you’ve created a custom study or group of studies, you can save it as a Custom Study Set. From the Tools menu, choose “Apply Studies” from the Studies submenu. Create your study set and click Save. You will be prompted to give the study set a name.
To edit an existing study set, select the study set from the menu at the top of the dialog box; the component studies will load in the lower window. You can select a study, change a parameter, and then click Update to automatically update and save the study set.
If you do not wish to update the saved study set, use the Add and Remove buttons to change the combination of studies. You can click Save to save this group as a new Custom Study Set; enter a new name when prompted.
Creating Comparison Charts
You can compare different financial instruments to one another, such as a stock to any number of indices and stocks. From the Tools menu, locate the Studies submenu and choose Comparison Chart.
Drawing Tools
Adding Trendlines
To draw a trendline on the chart, click on the starting point and then click again where you want the line to end. You can draw a trendline on the price graph or on any of the lower indicator windows.
Changing the Color of a Trendline
After drawing a trendline, hold the cursor over the trendline and right-click. (If you're using a Mac, use Command-click instead of right-right-click.) A menu appears; choose Next Color to change the color of the trendline.
Deleting Trendlines and Other Drawn Objects
With this same menu, you can also choose to draw another object of the same type.
Adding a Horizontal Price Level
To draw a horizontal price level, first choose Price Level from the Drawing Tools submenu of the Tools menu. Click the price graph once to create a horizontal line; you can move the mouse to adjust the line’s placement. Click again to anchor the line. After the price level is drawn, the trendline becomes the active drawing tool.
Adding Text Notes
You can add text notes to the price chart, as well as to any of the lower indicator windows.
Highlighting Areas of the Chart
Fibonacci Studies
Fibonacci studies are a premium option available to Gold members at Prophet.Net. The available types of interactive tools available are: n Retracement levels
n Fans n Arcs
n Time zones (time series)
Fibonacci values and line styles can be customized in Prophet JavaCharts. Additionally, multiple Fibonacci studies, as well as other technical studies, may be applied to a single chart.
Fibonacci Basics
Prophet JavaCharts features interactive Fibonacci tools — retracement levels, fans, arcs, and time zones (or time series) — for historical and intraday charts. They can show implied levels of support and resistance, as well as potential pivot points, for various securities.
Customizing Fibonacci Levels
You can customize Fibonacci Levels. From the Tools menu, locate the Drawing Tools submenu and choose Customize Fibonacci.
Customizing the Chart
Appearance
Saving Chart Styles
You can create different chart “views” and save them for easy access in the future. First set up the chart with the preferences you wish to save; then, from the Tools menu, locate the Chart Styles submenu and select Save Style.
For example, you might create the following styles:
n Streaming Intraday: 1 day, 1 minute chart, streaming, expanded n 60-Day Close-Up: 60 day, 2 hour charts with colors
n Candle View: 1 month, daily candlesticks
When saving chart styles, you can also include studies. Or apply studies after applying the chart style; it’s up to you! For information about saving custom study sets, please refer to the “Technical Studies” section.
Adding Space at the Right Edge of the Chart
You can add space at the right edge of the chart by checking the box labeled “Expand Chart.” This feature is particularly useful for projecting trendlines, channels, and other drawn objects that extend into the expanded area.
Adjusting Expanded Area Size
Checking Expand Chart adds space to the right of the chart; you can adjust the amount of additional space. From the Tools menu, choose a size from the Expanded Area submenu.
Resetting the Chart
Using Watch Lists
in JavaCharts
Managing Your Watch Lists
The symbols from your Watch List are shown in the left panel. You can edit your Watch List while using JavaCharts by selecting Watch List submenu from the Tools menu and choosing “Add Symbol to List.” Similarly, you can delete a symbol from your Watch List by selecting “Delete Symbol from List” or by right-clicking the symbol in the left-panel and selecting Delete from the menu that appears.
Flipping Quickly Through Your Charts
Below the left panel are the Flip Charts buttons, which enable you to quickly flip through the charts in any Watch List.
Keyboard Shortcut for Flip Charts
You can use the Up and Down Arrow keys on your keyboard to speed through any symbol list shown in the left panel of JavaCharts.
To jump to to tagged symbols, hold down the Control key while using the Up and Down Arrow keys.
Tagging Symbols in Your Watch Lists
As you find interesting opportunities, you may wish to flag specific charts of interest. Tagging is a convenient way to make symbols stand out. When you choose “Tag This Symbol” from the Tools menu (in the Watch Lists submenu), the active symbol will appear in boldface. Alternately, you can right-click the symbol in the left-panel and select Tag Symbol from the menu that appears.
Using Move and Copy to Manage Your Watch Lists
You can organize your trading ideas by keeping watch lists, such as Oversold Stocks, Momentum Stocks, Short Candidates, Long Positions, etc. As you proceed with your analysis, you can move or copy a stock from one list to another — for example, from Oversold to Long Positions.
The difference between Move and Copy is that Move removes a given symbol from the current list and moves it into a different list. Copy, however, leaves the symbol in its original list.
Adjusting the Left-Panel Size
To adjust the width of the left panel, choose “Left-Panel Size” from the Tools menu and make your selection from the submenu that appears.
View by Company Name or Symbol
Stock Information
Looking Up a Stock Symbol
To look up the symbol for a company or fund, click the word Symbol at the upper-right of the applet. Then click “Look Up Symbol” and use the Search box that appears.
Viewing Stock News
Finding the Ratio for a Stock Split (Yellow Triangles)
Charting Futures Markets
Prophet has historical data on over different 300 futures (sometimes called commodities) markets from around the world. This data goes back as far as 1959 and can be viewed as either a regular futures contract or a synthetic continuous contract in JavaCharts.
Futures Symbology
The fastest way to view a futures chart is to enter the symbol directly. There are two formats available for specifying futures contracts. n Symbol + Year + Month Code (note: you do not type the + sign)
Examples: SP99Z, C02H, W03H
n Symbol + 4 digit Date (note: you do not type the + sign) Examples: SP9912, C0203, W0303
Month Codes for Futures Contracts
The month codes for futures symbols are:
Open Interest
When you enter a futures symbol, the graph is shown with the standard price and volume data, and a red open interest line is displayed in the volume graph. This line does not appear for stocks, since stocks do not have an open interest.
.
Futures Data from the GLOBEX
Continuous Futures Contracts
Prophet also makes synthetic continuous contracts available to give you a better long-term perspective. Two styles of contracts are available: non-adjusted and non-adjusted. Both of these types of continuous contracts are created by chaining together individual contracts based on volume. Each front month, based on the highest volume contract, is used for every portion of the assembled continuous contract.
Sometimes there is a substantial price difference when a contract “rolls forward.” That is, even though they represent the same market, two different contract months may have an unusually large difference in price. This is particularly truly of some agricultural commodities.
An adjusted contract eliminates this gap in order to portray a more useful long-term chart. These contracts are forward-adjusted, which means that their recent prices will have no correlation to their true market price. You can view charts for Continuous Contracts by entering the root symbol plus 1600 for non-adjusted, or 1700 for adjusted contracts. For Example:
Use S1600 for a non-adjusted graph on continuous contracts for soybeans. Use W1700 for a graph of adjusted contracts for wheat.
Using the Futures Wizard
Because there is such a large variety of futures on the market, and because the months they trade vary, it is difficult to know what symbol is appropriate for a given market. The Prophet Futures Wizard makes this task easy.
The following dialog box appears:
The first dropdown is for a futures group. Choose a group (such as Grains, Foods, or Energy) that represents the broad market of interest to you. The next dropdown, for markets, is then populated with the markets belonging to that group. So, instead of having to choose from a list of over 300 symbols, you can look at the relatively small set belonging to the group you have already chosen.
Additional options are available on the Futures Wizard, as well. Overlay Cash will display the cash market (if the data is available) on top of the futures graph so you can see how these two markets move with relation to each other.
Charting Stock Options
Prophet JavaCharts offers data on all the U.S.-traded stock and equity options.
Options Symbology
The first three alphabetic characters following the dot ( . ) are used to represent the option root.
The option root does not necessarily correspond to the underlying stock symbol. In the case of IBM, it does. In the case of Apple Computer (stock symbol AAPL, root symbol AAQ) the symbols are different.
If you do not know the root symbol for an option, the fastest way to find it is through the Options Chains page at Prophet.Net.
n Prophet.Net : Quotes : Options Chains
http://www.prophet.net/quotes/options.jsp
On the Options Chains page, enter the regular stock symbol (e.g., AAPL) and all the available options symbols will be displayed.
Next is the month/type, which can be any 1 of 24 possible alphabetic characters. This is the 4th character of the symbol, and it shows not only if it’s a put or a call, but also what the month expiration is.
Finally, the 5th character is the strike price. Because there are only 26 letters in the alphabet, but far more possible strike prices, there is a lot of recycling. So “A” might be $5, $105, $205, $305, etc. You have to know what the strike price is to have an educated guess as to what is really being stated.
Strike Code Price Strike
Code Price A $5.00 M $65.00 B $10.00 N $70.00 C $15.00 O $75.00 D $20.00 P $80.00 E $25.00 Q $85.00 F $30.00 R $90.00 G $35.00 S $95.00 H $40.00 T $100.00 I $45.00 U 7.50 J $50.00 V $12.50 K $55.00 W $17.50 L $60.00 X $22.50
The Options Wizard
First, enter the root of the stock option and choose whether you want to view a Put or a Call.
Next, choose the expiration you want to see. The year is not necessary, since you are simply choosing the forthcoming instance of the month you choose. For instance, if it is April, and you choose May from the
dropdown, the wizard assumes you mean May of the present year. If you chose January, the system will assume you meant January of the next year.
Lastly, choose the Strike Price and click Get Chart.
Sharing Charts & Ideas
Printing Charts
To print a chart, choose “Print Chart” from the Tools menu. You’ll see a new browser window with a picture of your chart. Use the browser’s Print command to print the chart.
For most printers, you will need to print the chart at a reduction. To do this, choose Print Preview (if available) from the File menu of the browser. Depending on your printer driver, you may be able to locate a selection that allows the printed image to “Fit on One Page” or “Shrink Page to Fit.”
Sending Charts Via Email
To email a chart to a trading buddy, your broker, or a friend, choose “Mail Chart” from the Tools menu. You can add a note with your chart, such as “Check out this great breakout!” or “Do you think I should buy this stock?” The studies and other drawn objects will appear with the mailed chart.
Troubleshooting
Prophet JavaCharts is designed to behave like a software program that you access via your browser. It takes advantage of the Java engine built into most browsers.
Restart the Browser
If JavaCharts does not behave as expected, first try quitting and restarting the browser.
Clear the Cache
Depending on the cache setting of your browser, your system may cache older, expired versions of the JavaCharts applet. Consult the
documentation for your browser for instructions on clearing the cache. Or contact [email protected] for assistance.
Run a Browser Check
If you see a large, gray box where the applet should appear, or if the applet behaves inconsistently, your browser may include an old or incompatible version of Java. Please follow this link to the Browser Check page:
n http://www.prophet.net/help/jscriptcheck.jsp
