Ticker Symbols

Updated 04/15/15

FastTrack Ticker Symbol Sources

FastTrack can gather, display, and store ticker symbols from a variety of sources:

Symbols from the FastTrack Databases: For example, the red line below (VFINX). These symbols occur in any of several FT databases. The issues can be charted on the Chart Tab, be saved as members of families, and used in every aspect of FastTrack. The easiest way to load Issue Lists with symbols is from the Family Tab.

AVG or LIST AVG: For example, the purple line is the AVG of the issues in the Issue List, in this case the entire Fidelity family of funds. ON restart, the current Issue list will be averages. On startup, if the current Issue List's AVG will be computed. LIST AVG may NOT be a family member.

Family AVG: For example, the green line is AIM AVG, the average of the AIM family of funds. This is a special two word symbol that computes to an average of an existing family. An issue list containing AIM AVG as the ticker symbol may be saved/restored as a CSV file, but not as a FastTrack Family.

NN%: where NN is digits from 0-999
For example, the Cyan line (10%). This special symbol creates a line whose annualized is ten percent. The line shows a small gain each day. The percentage can be negative and can be fractional. (like 10.45%). FT4DOS is limited to whole number percentages.

This symbol can be saved in a family, and if it is in one of the ColorBar's cells when you close down FastTrack, it will be restored on startup. An issue list containing 10% as the ticker symbol may be saved/restored as a CSV file, but not as a FastTrack Family.

SCREEN AVG: This is the average of the tickers on the Colorbar. In the lower chart, the yellow line is the daily rebalanced AVG of the red and green lines. 

In this case QQQQ and RYAIX run exactly opposite each other, hence, the yellow SCREEN AVG is flat. An issue list containing SCREEN AVG as the ticker symbol may be saved/restored as a CSV file, but not as a FastTrack Family.

Symbols not Known by FastTrack

FastTrack does not know all symbols that are in use on the Internet. But this doesn't prevent you from using these symbols on FastTrack's Internet Tab.

The best way to get a  nonFastTrack symbols into the Internet's Issue List is to display industry lists offered on the Internet by Yahoo or Market Guide and clicking the button. This will pull in a list of all symbols from the web site. Ticker symbols with names shown are in one of the FT database.

Click to see the Yahoo or Market Guide industry lists, or by click FastTrack's Available Links , selecting "OverView", and then click the "industry" links.

There are some limitations.

There is no rankable or chartable data within FastTrack for these nonFastTrack symbols. When you do FT computational functions, symbols not in the FT database are ignored.  

Valid ticker names

You can create your own ticker symbols and enter data for those tickers.

Do not use a ticker symbol containing: percent sign, period, comma, colon, Semicolon, quotes, slashes, or spaces as these are not valid for filenames, bad practice, or have special uses inside FT. Importing data

Good nonalpha choices are

! @ # $ ^ & ( ) _ - + < > ? { } [ ] | = ~ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0

FNU files MUST be saved in your FastTrack root directory, usually C:\FT\