Ticker

A stock ticker is a digital stream of information that shows investors the latest data on actively traded shares. It updates continuously so that traders can monitor price movements and respond to market shifts immediately. Before electronic systems existed, stock prices were distributed through mechanical ticker machines in the late 1800s and early 1900s. These devices printed short company identifiers and trade details on long strips of paper, enabling investors to track transactions as they happened. Today, tickers appear on financial news networks, trading terminals, market websites, mobile apps, and electronic display boards. They typically present information such as the stock’s symbol, its current market price, the change in price from the previous close, the percentage difference, and the trading volume. Updates occur in real time, allowing investors to interpret market sentiment quickly.

Example: A ticker might flash the following line: TCS 3,910.25 ▲ 45.75 (+1.18%) This shows the symbol (TCS), the latest traded price (₹3,910.25), the amount of increase, and the percentage rise for the session, helping traders decide whether to buy, sell, or hold the stock.