Microsoft KB Archive/163869

= How to obtain quotes for stock options =

Article ID: 163869

Article Last Modified on 1/19/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Money 2007 Deluxe
 * Microsoft Money 2007 Home & Business
 * Microsoft Money 2007 Premium
 * Microsoft Money 2006 Deluxe
 * Microsoft Money 2006 Premium
 * Microsoft Money 2006 Small Business
 * Microsoft Money 2006 Standard
 * Microsoft Money 2005 Deluxe Edition
 * Microsoft Money 2005 Premium Edition
 * Microsoft Money 2005 Small Business Edition
 * Microsoft Money 2005 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Money 2004 Deluxe Edition
 * Microsoft Money 2004 Premium Edition
 * Microsoft Money 2004 Small Business Edition
 * Microsoft Money 2004 Standard Edition
 * MSN Money
 * MSN Money Plus
 * Microsoft Money Essentials

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This article was previously published under Q163869





SUMMARY
This article describes how use Microsoft Money or the Investing section of MSN Money to find ticker symbols and quotes for stock options.

Employee Stock Options use the main symbol of the company. Choose the Employee Stock Option type when you enter the initial Grant transaction. After you enter the initial Grant, click Investment Details to enter the Vesting and Expiration transactions.

Warrants are another type of option, but they have their own unique symbol. Use that symbol when you enter the initial Buy transaction.

The rest of this article deals with regular options.

An option is a contract between two investors that grants one investor the right to buy or sell a specific asset at a specific price within a specific time period.



MORE INFORMATION
To view a list of all the options that are available for a stock, use one of the following methods.

Note The option symbols used in MSN Money always begin with a period.

Method 1

 * 1) On the MSN Money home page, click MSN Money Investing.
 * 2) In the Symbol box, type the symbol of the company that you want to research, and then click Go.
 * 3) In the Quote Detail page for the stock, click Options in the left pane.

Method 2
 On the Investing navigation bar, click Stocks. Click Find, and then click Symbols.

If the Find Symbol Web link is available, but Find is not, you need to upgrade your version of the MSN Money software. To do this:  On the Stocks page, click the Upgrade MSN Money Software hyperlink. Click Download MSN Money Deluxe, and then click Yes. If you see the chart graph, click I See the Chart, and then proceed to the next step.

If you do not see the chart, click Common installation problems. </li> Click the Options tab.</li> In the Enter symbol box, type the ticker symbol of the company that you want to research, and then click Find.</li></ol>

Note If the ticker symbol for a stock contains more than three characters, the ticker symbol for the option is often the first two characters of the stock ticker symbol, followed by the letter "Q," the expiration date code, and the strike price code.

If you cannot find the option ticker symbol for your security, contact your broker.

Option Symbol Codes
The Expiration Date is the last day on which an option can be exercised. It becomes worthless after this date.

The following table lists the Call and Put codes for expiration dates in different months:

The Strike Price is the price at which the underlying stock can be purchased (for call options) or sold (for put options) during a specified period.

The following table lists the codes for strike prices from $5 to $500: "Code"

Strike Prices

A

5

105

205

305

405

B

10

110

210

310

410

C

15

115

215

315

415

D

20

120

220

320

420

E

25

125

225

325

425

F

30

130

230

330

430

G

35

135

235

335

435

H

40

140

240

340

440

I

45

145

245

345

445

J

50

150

250

350

450

K

55

155

255

355

455

L

60

160

260

360

460

M

65

165

265

365

465

N

70

170

270

370

470

O

75

175

275

375

475

P

80

180

280

380

480

Q

85

185

285

385

485

R

90

190

290

390

490

S

95

195

295

395

495

T

100

200

300

400

500

U

7.5

V

12.5

W

17.5

X

22.5

Note The same pattern repeats for strike prices from $500 to $1000.

Additional query words: MoneyCentral investor 6.00 7.00 inv7 money 97 money98 money99 w_money update ticker price

Keywords: kbhowto kbmoneyinvest kbui KB163869

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