Notice: We conducted a review of all actively traded ETFs to see which ones we could add to our database.  As a result of this review, we have added 152 more ETFs to our database.  At the time of our review, all of these traded 100,000 shares a day or more.     See List of the most Recently Added ETFs

Sometimes We Ask for Input

     Occasionally, we ask for input regarding a service or some item that we post on the site.  For example, we may be trying to decide whether or not to modify a scan report we currently publish or whether we should provide an entirely new scan report.  For example, on one occasion we were thinking about providing certain lists free to our visitors.  We wanted to know which of the scans we were considering would be most useful to our visitors, so we asked for input.  However, because we received no input at all, we canceled the project.  Why?  When we ask for input, we figure that if anybody cares about the subject of our request, at least one person should respond.  A large number of people saw our request that they state their preferences, but not a single person cared enough to responded to that request.  Therefore, it was reasonable for us to assume that the scans were not important to the people who visit our site.  It takes resources, time, and money to maintain a Web site.  Without input, it is sometimes difficult to justify the time and expense necessary to offer something, especially if it is free.  A single response might have convinced us there were others who were interested.  We are not trying to be "mean."  We simply have limited resources, and we must be efficient in the use of those resources in order to survive in the marketplace.  We sometimes create new features, scans, or services.  If we ask for feedback on one of these and no one cares enough to respond, there is a high probability that it will be trashed.

Stock Scanner 

The Stock scanner now scans for 6 moving average crossovers representing a broad array of sensitivities.  In order to generate an alert, the crossover must be associated with a volume surge.  The scanner conducts a broad spectrum sweep over thousands of stocks looking for the first signs of "life" or unusual stock movement in either direction.  Scan reports are generated daily for subscribers.  See the Stock Scanner page for details and a sample scan report.

The Valuator

The price of a subscription to this and our other publications have just been modified.  Rather than charging on an annual basis, we now charge for 6-month subscriptions.  We think many people can budget more easily for shorter subscriptions.  Even in 1993 a subscription was priced at $176 per year (paper version).  If that price were adjusted for inflation, the publication would be much more expensive now.  It is one of our most popular subscriptions.  It has been one of our most important resources, if not the most important resource, for investment ideas ever since its creation over 20 years ago.  It will probably continue to be so as long as we are investing.  We are now offering a 6-month subscription for $75.  It is very labor intensive to produce, requiring much more time than than any other publication.  Unlike the stuff available elsewhere on the Internet, it does not consist of the comparatively anemic cookie cutter downloads from data vendors.  Each stock has its own custom-designed valuation model.  Its measurements are simply not available anywhere else on the Internet. 

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"Do you want to view only the webpage content that was delivered securely?"

If you are using Internet Explorer 8 and you view a page that includes HTTP based resources such as images, on a secure HTTPS page, Internet Explorer will interrupt the download and display a confirmation dialog.  Most such warning dialogs require the viewer to click "yes" to proceed.  However, in order to see the page and the charts, this dialog requires that you select "no."  The warning is similar to the following image.

An IE user can disable this warning by:

1. Going  to Tools->Internet Options

2. Select the ‘Security’ tab

3. Under "Select a zone to view or change security settings" select "Internet."

4. Click the ‘Custom Level’ button, and

5. In the ‘Miscellaneous’ section change “Display mixed content” to "Enable."

These general instructions also apply to Internet Explorer 9.

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StockAlerts

We added five key points regarding Bollinger Band squeeze alerts on the "Stock Alerts" page.

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We now include the closing price for all EFs that make it into the top 50 for "strength."  Again, this is our own strength algorithm.  It is far more complex and sophisticated than the RSI.  In a good market nearly everything looks good.  At those times you may not see much difference in the stocks ranked highly by each approach.  However, even then the RSI will produce some stocks you would not want to "touch with a ten foot pole."  In poor markets, most of the "strength" stocks our algorithm finds will look far better than much of the stuff turned up by the RSI--especially if the scans are applied to thousands of stocks. 

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Momentum Scan

Our free momentum scans now include 12-day and 25-day momentum and the 10-day average volume momentum.  The 50 stocks with the greatest 25-day momentum are ranked and listed along with their 12-day momentum and 10-day average volume momentum.
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If You Find a Link That Doesn't Work...

Please do not leave this site without reporting any link that is not functioning correctly.  Links are tested when they are created, but sometimes links "lose their target" even though they have not been "touched."  There are far too many links on this site for us to keep checking them to see if there is a problem with any of them.  Links look functional whether they actually are or not.  We spend our time preparing content rather than checking links.  If you find a bad link, let us know so we can fix it.  For example, we discovered that a few links in the tutorial section were not working.  We have no idea how long they were not operable, but it took us only a few minutes to fix them.  When we visit other sites, we are turned off by functions and links that do not work.  For example, if we try to send an e-mail to notify site owners that one of their links does not function, the e-mail comes back undelivered because the automated address is incorrect.  If we try to find a way to contact them about it, the "Contact Us" page is off-line or non-existent.  We do not want our site to be like that.  You can help us keep quality high by taking the time to let us know immediately when there is a problem.  Please!

The Charts

Most of the charts we display were created (in their original form) with the software of TD Ameritrade, eSignal, Monex, Interactive Data, or Equis International.  While preserving their original accuracy, we may re-format or otherwise highly modify charts after their creation in the originating software.  This is done before we display them on our Web site.  Some charts may be created entirely by us with tools from Microsoft or some other company.  On a given day, we may also display charts from sources not listed here.

The Clock 

We have added a "clock" in the "Market review" section that reports the time at our location in California.  The clock helps provide a little orientation for people in Europe, Asia, and in other time zones regarding the timing of our Web site updates as explained in "Q&A" #14.  If visitors know the difference in time between their locations and our location, they can even use the clock to set their watches.  Our use of US Naval Observatory Master Clock time assures us of the accuracy of the time reported. 

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Talk To Us 

Why not send us an e-mail with some feedback on the Web site?  We won't use your e-mail address to send you any ads nor will we sell it to anyone else.  It would just be nice to know what you think.  Unless you tell us not to, we will probably respond.  Tell us what sections of the site are most useful to you and why.

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Attention Subscribers

Reminder: The "Strength" measurement used in The Valuator is far more powerful than the RSI.  It measures recent stock strength and gives greater weighting to stocks that show more strength consistency.  It screens out much of the "junk" that the RSI lets through.  Our proprietary algorithm makes at least 4 separate weighted measurements and composite scores are created for each stock.  The composite scores are then ranked relative to each other.  Traders (and investors) should try to buy stocks early in the development of a strong positive trend.  Even when investing in these stocks, investors should wait for a pullback (they should try to time their entry to coincide with when the stock has pulled back to its rising trendline or to a significant moving average). To reduce their risk exposure, many traders wait for the stock to respond to (or "bounce" off) the support expected at the trendline or moving average before they buy. 

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Recent Changes