Basic Overview of a Share before You Start Trading or Investment

This is an excellent way to learn. The attached image is a typical stock summary or “snapshot” for a company (let’s assume it’s for a company like “ABC Ltd.”) on an Indian trading platform.

Here is a detailed, term-by-term explanation with examples based on the values in your image.

1. Basic Price & Trading Data

These terms tell you about the stock’s trading activity for the most recent session.

Term Explanation Example from Image (Value: 2,305.20)
Open The price at which the stock started trading when the market opened for the day. ABC Ltd.’s first trade of the day was executed at ₹2,305.20 per share.
Previous Close The stock’s closing price on the previous trading day. At the end of yesterday’s session, ABC Ltd. was trading at ₹2,304.40. The small increase from yesterday’s close to today’s open indicates a slightly positive opening.
High The highest price at which the stock traded during the current trading day. Today, the price of ABC Ltd. reached a peak of ₹2,338.90.
Low The lowest price at which the stock traded during the current trading day. Today, the price of ABC Ltd. fell to a minimum of ₹2,281.00.
Volume The total number of shares that were traded during the day. A total of 681,099 shares of ABC Ltd. changed hands today.
Value (Lacs) The total monetary value of all the trades for the day, expressed in Lacs (1 Lac = 100,000 Rupees). The combined value of all ABC Ltd. shares traded today was ₹15,670.73 Lacs, which is ₹1,567,073,000 (over 156 Crore Rupees).
WAP (Weighted Average Price) The average price of the stock during the day, weighted by volume. It’s a better average than (High+Low)/2 because it considers how much trading happened at each price. On average, investors paid about ₹2,311.46 per share for ABC Ltd. today, considering all transactions.

2. Price Limits & Historical Range

These terms help you understand the stock’s volatility and its price boundaries.

Term Explanation Example from Image
UC Limit (Upper Circuit Limit) The maximum price the stock is allowed to reach in a single day. If the stock hits this price, trading can be halted (no one can buy at a higher price). For ABC Ltd., the exchange has set a maximum price of ₹2,534.80 for today. It cannot go higher than this.
LC Limit (Lower Circuit Limit) The minimum price the stock is allowed to fall to in a single day. If it hits this price, trading can be halted (no one can sell at a lower price). The exchange-mandated floor price for ABC Ltd. for today is ₹2,074.00.
52 Week High The highest price at which the stock has traded in the past year (52 weeks). In the last year, the highest point ABC Ltd. reached was ₹2,890.00.
52 Week Low The lowest price at which the stock has traded in the past year (52 weeks). In the last year, the lowest point ABC Ltd. fell to was ₹1,541.70.
All Time High The highest price the stock has ever reached since it was listed. Since its IPO, the absolute highest price ABC Ltd. ever achieved was ₹2,890.00 (which is also its 52-week high).
All Time Low The lowest price the stock has ever reached since it was listed. The absolute lowest price ABC Ltd. ever traded at was ₹1,541.70.

3. Volume & Delivery Data

These terms give you insight into the intensity and nature of trading.

Term Explanation Example from Image
200 Avg Volume The average number of shares traded per day over the last 200 trading days (approx. one year). Typically, about 928,087 shares of ABC Ltd. are traded daily. Today’s volume (681,099) is below this average, suggesting lower-than-usual activity.
200 Avg Delivery(%) The percentage of trades that resulted in the actual delivery of shares (i.e., buyers took shares to their Demat account, instead of selling them the same day). A high % suggests long-term investor interest. On average, 58.71% of the trades in ABC Ltd. are delivery-based, indicating a healthy mix of investors and intraday traders.

4.  Fundamental Valuation Ratios

These are crucial metrics used to determine if a stock is fairly valued, overvalued, or undervalued.

Term Explanation Example from Image & Interpretation
TTM EPS (Trailing Twelve Months Earnings Per Share) The company’s total profit divided by the number of outstanding shares, calculated for the past 12 months. It shows the company’s profitability on a per-share basis. ABC Ltd. earned a profit of ₹70.35 for each of its shares in the last year. The note “(4.18% YoY)” means this EPS has decreased by 4.18% compared to the previous year.
TTM PE (Trailing Twelve Months Price-to-Earnings Ratio) The current share price divided by its TTM EPS. It tells you how much you are paying for each rupee of the company’s earnings. The PE ratio is 32.71. This means investors are paying ₹32.71 for every ₹1 of ABC Ltd.’s annual earnings.
Sector PE The average PE ratio for all the major companies in the same industry sector. The average PE for ABC Ltd.’s industry is 36.68. Comparing ABC’s PE (32.71) to its sector PE (36.68) suggests it might be relatively less expensive than its peers.
Book Value Per Share The company’s net asset value (Total Assets – Total Liabilities) divided by the number of shares. It represents the value of the company if it were liquidated. The net asset value behind each share of ABC Ltd. is ₹166.47.
P/B (Price-to-Book Ratio) The current share price divided by its Book Value Per Share. It shows how the market values the company compared to its accounting value. The P/B is 13.83. This means the stock is trading at a significant premium (13.83 times) to its book value. This is common for companies with strong brands or high future growth prospects (like IT, FMCG).
Face Value The original value of the share as stated by the company. It is used for accounting purposes and is largely irrelevant for trading. It’s often ₹10, ₹5, or ₹1. Each share of ABC Ltd. has a base legal value of ₹10.

5. Risk & Return Metrics

Term Explanation Example from Image & Interpretation
Beta A measure of the stock’s volatility in comparison to the overall market (usually Nifty 50). A beta of 1 means the stock moves with the market. ABC Ltd.’s Beta is 0.79. This means it is less volatile than the market. If Nifty goes up 10%, ABC Ltd. might only go up ~8%. It’s considered a relatively less risky stock.
Dividend Yield The annual dividend per share divided by the current share price, expressed as a percentage. It shows the return you get just from dividends. The dividend yield is 0.91%. This means if you buy at the current price, your annual dividend income will be 0.91% of your investment. This is low, suggesting the company reinvests most profits for growth rather than paying them out.
Mkt Cap (Rs. Cr.) The total market value of all the company’s outstanding shares. (Share Price x Total Shares). The total value of all shares of ABC Ltd. is ₹186,949 Crores, making it a Large-Cap company.

Putting It All Together: A Quick Summary of “ABC Ltd.”

  • Performance & Stability:It’s a large, stable company (high market cap) with low volatility (Beta < 1).
  • Current Trend:The stock is trading well below its all-time high, and its EPS has seen a slight decline YoY.
  • Valuation:Its PE ratio is slightly lower than the sector average, which could make it relatively attractive. However, it trades at a very high P/B ratio, indicating the market values its future potential or brand strength much more than its current assets.
  • Investor Profile:It’s not a high-dividend stock, making it more suitable for investors seeking growth rather than regular income.

This comprehensive breakdown should give you a solid understanding of how to read a stock’s data summary.

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