05:55:22 EDT Tue 19 Mar 2024
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Stockwatch Help

Frequently Asked Questions
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Frequently Asked Questions

Technical

I am having trouble logging in

If you have forgotten your password click here

NOTE: If you are having trouble logging in - that is, when you enter your ID and password you continue to see the login form, you may have an unusual problem with Stockwatch cookies.
Please click here to delete your Stockwatch cookies,
then try logging in again from the home page. (You may have to restart your browser before this works properly.)

First, please check that you are logging in correctly. Go to this URL: https://www.stockwatch.com. DO NOT USE A BOOKMARK - sometimes our site's internal URL's can change. Then, carefully enter your correct ID and password and click the "Login" button with your mouse.

If you enter an incorrect ID and/or password, you will get an error along with a link you can use to retrieve your ID and password by email. Or you can click here to retrieve your ID and password by email.

If you are logged in correctly, the ID and password text entry boxes will disappear, and your login ID will be displayed in their place. Also the yellow trial subscription link at the top will disappear. If you need help constructing a login bookmark, click here for instructions or contact our tech support.

If the ID and password text entry boxes remain, and nothing else changes, this means that your browser and/or computer are not allowing cookies.

First you should check the date and time on your computer. If this is incorrect, it may cause a cookie to expire immediately when it shouldn't.

You must allow cookies from our site. Cookies are discussed in more detail in the questions below, but you cannot login to Stockwatch unless cookies are enabled.

By default, most modern operating systems and security programs disable cookies. You will have to enable cookies for our site. We recommend that you add our site to your "trusted sites" list in your security software.

If you are running Internet Explorer, select menu item "Tools/Internet Options". Click the "Privacy" tab at the top, then click the "Sites" button. Where it says "Address of Web Site" enter "stockwatch.com" - do not add www or anything else, just "stockwatch.com". Then click "Allow", then "OK", then "OK" again.

If you still cannot login after doing this, you have other security software on your computer that you must similarly configure. Some popular programs are ZoneAlarm, Norton Internet Security, and McAfee Security. We are unable to provide detailed instructions for these programs here, as it varies from version to version and program to program. Please consult your online help for your program - search for "cookies" and figure out how to trust the site "stockwatch.com". Feel free to call our tech support for help with this, if you wish. Click here to contact us.

I'm having trouble accessing the Stockwatch website, what should I do?

Try clearing your browser's disk cache. To clear your disk cache try one of these:

  • For IE 5 and higher, use menu Tools/Internet Options/General and click the button "Delete Files".

If you have a different browser there is probably a way to perform a similar disk cache-clearing function. Make sure the date and time on your PC is set correctly. If set incorrectly, this can cause cookies to time out when they shouldn't. Also, your browser must have "cookies enabled". See next question and answer regarding "No Cookie" errors.

I keep getting "No Cookie" errors. What should I do?

For some reason, the cookies which our Web server sends to your browser when you log in are not being returned when you hit subsequent pages on our site. We use these cookies to identify your session and you cannot use the Website without them. We're assuming you're already using a cookie-compatible browser. To deal with the error messages, here are some things you can do:

  • In IE 5, go to Tools/Internet Options/Security/Custom Level and click on "enable cookies".

What is a "cookie"?

A cookie is basically an identifier that determines your access to a site. When you first log in with your User ID and Password, the Web server sends a string of characters to your browser. When you next visit that server, requesting a page, your browser returns the same cookie to the server that originated it. A cookie set by a particular Web site (such as ours) can ONLY be accessed by the Web site from which it originated.

Why do you require a "cookie"?

The operation of our website requires the use of "cookies". For example, cookies allow the Web site to provide access levels to each user commensurate with their paid subscription. A cookie is simply a character string we send to your browser when you log in, which it sends back every time you hit a page on our server. There is no security concern, and it provides no information about you. We use this mechanism to track your session activity in our database, for authentication and accounting purposes.

Should I be worried about cookies?

Many Web sites which track user sessions use cookies - for instance, online shopping sites may use cookies to track the contents of your "shopping cart" from one Web hit to the next. Cookies have traditionally prompted concerns about privacy invasion and "hidden" tracking of Web user's activities, but generally can be considered as harmless. A cookie is nothing more than a string of characters which are sent from a Web server to your Web browser. When you re-visit the same Web server, your browser sends the cookies back so that the server may "recognize" you. A cookie set by a particular Web site can ONLY be accessed by THAT Web site. It is impossible for any other Web site to access, or even be aware of the existence of, a cookie originated by another Web site. Thus, it is IMPOSSIBLE for any Web site to have any knowledge of your activity on ANY OTHER Web site.

When a cookie is returned to a Web site which set it, the information returned is EXACTLY what was set in the first place. No OTHER information can ever be accessed this way, including any personal details of yours such as name, email address, credit information, or the contents of files on your hard disk.

If you are worried that cookies allow a Web site to track your activity on that particular website , which they can, then you have two choices; avoid accessing Web sites altogether or, enable your computer to warn you when a Web site is wanting to originate a cookie. You can enable a warning in your browser which will allow you to choose to decline or accept cookies being set by any Web site you visit. Click here for a technical description of cookies.

Why doesn't my Java Live Ticker or Daytrader Workstation work?

By default, most web browsers do not include Java. To install Sun Java, go to http://java.com and click "Free Java Download."
Update 2016: Recent browsers no longer support Java due to security concerns. This includes IE11+ and Google Chrome. We suggest you use our "Stockwatch Desktop" streaming realtime application, which includes all the same features as the Java applets. You can download and install this program on your PC. This is NOT a Java program so you it does not have the resource limitations of a Java applet.

How secure is the Stockwatch Web site generally?

Stockwatch has a secure server (2048-bit Secure Socket Layer - SSL) which meets or exceeds accepted industry standards for data security. Stockwatch is NOT inherently a high-risk Web site anyway, but providing our clients with this level of protection gives them an extra degree of assurance. Your credit card information is transferred only once at the time you enter it and in as secure an environment as anywhere on the World Wide Web.

How can I print charts?

In your browser menu, select File/Print. If you want to print the chart only without the surrounding web page, click the "Just the image for printing." If your chart is cut off on the right, try setting the printer's page orientation to landscape - the entire chart should fit on the page this way.
Another option is to save the image file to your hard drive, and use a decent image program to print that image file. You can save a graphic file by clicking the right mouse button while you're over it. We have had good luck with LViewPro. Click
here to go to LViewPro's website.

Why are my intraday charts blank?

The intraday charts use your computer's local date/time settings to determine what the current day is so you should make sure that this date/time is accurate.

My Java applet isn't working properly. I can't add stocks to it and nothing happens when I click on it. What should I do?

The most likely reason for this is low resources on your computer. Restarting your computer should flush out any memory leaks.

How do I print a page with background colors and images intact?

By default, Internet Explorer does not include background images and colors on printed pages. To enable printed background colors and images, follow the instructions below:

  1. Select the Tools, Internet Options menu in IE 5.x or 6.x or the View, Internet Options in IE 4.x
  2. Click on the Advanced tab
  3. Scroll down the list of options until you find the Printing section
  4. Click on the Print background colors and images checkbox so that it is checked

General

How long will the old site be available for?

The old web site will continue to operate for the foreseeable future.

How can I login faster?

Some pages on the Stockwatch website may be used to login, if you add the parameters id and pw to the URL (along with any other required parameters). Here are some examples. Replace "yourid" with your login ID and "yourpassword" with your password. Then save as a bookmark.
NOTE: This is highly insecure, as your ID and password are stored and transmitted in plain text.

These pages may be used as an automatic login bookmark:
https://www.stockwatch.com, https://www.stockwatch.com/Portfolio/View, https://www.stockwatch.com/Quote/StreamingLaunch.aspx, https://www.stockwatch.com/Old/P, https://www.stockwatch.com/Old/Menu, https://www.stockwatch.com/Old/Login

To login directly to the homepage:
https://www.stockwatch.com?id=yourid&pw=yourpassword
Portfolio 3 summary:
https://www.stockwatch.com/Portfolio/View?id=yourid&pw=yourpassword&pf=3
Launch the Ticker with portfolio 7:
https://www.stockwatch.com/Quote/StreamingLaunch.aspx?id=yourid&pw=yourpassword&appletname=ticker&action=go&pfid=7
Launch the Daytrader Workstation:
https://www.stockwatch.com/Quote/StreamingLaunch.aspx?id=yourid&pw=yourpassword&appletname=dtw&action=go
Old site portfolio view:
https://www.stockwatch.com/Old/P?id=yourid&pw=yourpassword&pf=1
Old site Main Menu:
https://www.stockwatch.com/Old/Login?id=yourid&pw=yourpassword&startat=menu

What is "Market Depth"?

Click here for a description of Market Depth

How Do I Subscribe to Market Depth?

To subscribe to Market Depth, you must already have subscribed to UNLIMITED REALTIME for that exchange. This requires a Daytrader subscription as well as the realtime procedures for that exchange.

If you are not already at the Daytrader level, you can upgrade yourself to the Daytrader subscription on the Options page. Then you must subscribe to unlimited realtime for the exchanges you want. All the required procedures are described there - some exchanges allow you to agree to the contract online, and others require you to send a signed contract to us.

THEN, you can sign up for market depth. Again, some exchanges allow you to agree to the contract online, and others require you to send a signed contract to us.

To subscribe to Market Depth options, click "Your Account" at the top of the page, then click "Subscription Options".

Do you have Gold and Metal Prices?

Gold and Metal prices are not shown directly within Stockwatch but are available from the Kitco Web site. http://www.kitco.com

What are the little numbers on either side of the Bid-Ask prices?

This is the number of shares (in thousands) available for buying or selling at the indicated bid/ask prices.

When is your news released?

News is disseminated to our online customers as it is entered into our database. This can happen anytime between 3 a.m. and 10 p.m. Pacific time. If you subscribe to bulletins by email, your bulletins should arrive at your mail server within minutes of data entry. Note that Internet mail, while extremely reliable almost all of the time, cannot be guaranteed.

Stockwatch provides its news to several professional quote systems. You have access to this news, via email or on the Web site, at the same time they do!

What Time Zone are all the Dates and Times?

All news dates and times are displayed in your preferred time zone, which you can adjust. Click "Your Account" then "User Information" to set your time zone. All quote trade times are local to the exchange, which is Eastern time for all North American quotes. You cannot adjust quote times.

Is it possible to find out when the latest IPOs are coming out?

Yes! You can go to the bulletin search screen and search for these exchange notices (search by type):

  • EOP Conditional Listing,
  • EOP Date Fixed,
  • EOP Completed.

Are quotes in Canadian or US dollars?

All quotes are in the currency native to the exchange. Canadian quotes are in Canadian dollars, unless the symbol ends in ".U", in which case it trades in US dollars.

When are closing prices available?

We transfer the day's closing quotes by 1:20 PM Pacific time. They show at that time in the database and on the charts. The daily email summaries are sent right after that.

How can I determine what happened to a company that no longer trades?

Our database contains a wealth of information. You can get close prices for a given symbol back to 1986. Click here to go to the Close History page.
You can also get historical information on companies, participants and their roles from the Infojex database. To get details on what happened, you can read the news bulletins from that time period. Click here to search for historical company information. Click here to search for participants.

Should I buy this stock? What mutual fund would you suggest? Is the market going up or down?

At Stockwatch we offer investment information as opposed to investment advice.

I subscribed to stock xyz in my portfolio. Shouldn't I be receiving news releases for this stock?

Make sure that the "S" box is checked for that stock in the Edit Portfolio page. Then click on the Submit button to save those changes.

If you've done this and are not receiving emails for any of your portfolio stocks, then:

  • Send an email to support@stockwatch.com indicating your email address and the last time you received an email from Stockwatch.
  • Make sure you're not accidentally blocking Stockwatch emails by mistake (especially if you're a hotmail user)

Why are there discrepancies in your news releases?

Stockwatch, like all news services, uses a particular style. (Note, there is a difference between news services and word fee services.) All our information is edited to conform with that style. This may account for the discrepancies to which you refer.

Stockwatch routinely adds its own pithy, 55-character filing headlines to news releases, leaving out the spin, jargon, euphemisms, buzzwords and political correctness often found in company headlines. Stockwatch's headlines are Stockwatch's take on the news. Of course, the company's own headline remains sacrosanct, appearing verbatim, without length restriction, in large, striking capital letters, immediately above the company's news release.

I replied to a Stockwatch news release that I received by email but haven't received a response yet. Does anyone read these replies?

No, the Stockwatch news releases and bulletins sent out by email are sent out under an email account designated for outgoing messages only. If you reply to one of these emails, the email will be sent to newsout@stockwatch.com and will not be read.

Sign-Up & Billing

How do I sign up for a Trial subscription?

If you're reading this, you're likely on-line and can easily sign up for a Trial subscription in just a few seconds. Your new account password will be emailed to you, which you can begin using immediately. The Trial subscription behaves like the Starter option.

Note: Trial subscriptions expire within a month regardless of usage.

My Trial subscription has expired, how do I sign up?

If your trial has expired, you can still login. You will be directed to a page where you can enter a credit card number, at which time your subscription will begin at the Starter level.
We accept Visa, MasterCard and American Express.
There is no need to call our office for this - we cannot accept a credit card number over the phone.

How long does my subscription last?

Your subscription remains active until you cancel it. Subscriptions are billed monthly, after the month is over. You will be charged for each month, whether you login or not. If you plan to be away for a period of time, you can cancel and then resume later at any time.

How do I cancel my subscription?

Phone our office or use the contact form at the Contact Us link. Because we bill after the month is over, you will still be charged one last time for the current month in which you cancel.

I previously cancelled my subscription. How do I resume?

You can login to your cancelled subscription with your ID and password. You will be directed to a page where you can enter your credit card number. When you have done this, your subscription is immediately resumed and you can begin using the site.

I'm worried about sending my credit card number over the Internet, do I have any options?

Not really. Our website runs on a secure server with security similar to any other e-commerce site such as Amazon.

I don't want to give you a credit card number at all, is that O.K.?

That's perfectly O.K. We can take a cash advance for six months' subscription fees. When we receive your cheque we will credit your account. Call the office at 604.687.1500 or 800.268.NEWS to arrange this.
Note there will be no refund of your remaining cash balance if you wish to cancel within the six months.

Why isn't my realtime 2 cent charge updating?

The most common cause is that your browser is retrieving this data from its cache. You can confirm this by noting the time in the red bar at the upper right - it should be current. To correct you can either:

  • make sure you clear your cache
  • right clicking and open in a new window to force update on the browser