Google Finance Revamped

Google Finance just redesigned their website and added new features, and I think the modifications are great. The redesign of the site itself is an improvement on its own - some might argue that the less-simplified new version is un-Google-like, but I personally don't think it's even close to being too busy. It's still a more basic interface than many counterparts, such as Yahoo! Finance.


There is now a convenient left navigation bar that lets users explore different parts of the site with one click as well as uncovering a particular company's financials and historical prices (still can't adjust prices for dividends like Yahoo, though). Other small updates to the layout give a more enriching experience and easier navigation of the site. However, the best changes undoubtedly are the additional content provided. For example, users can now view OHLC and Candlestick charts among other things by clicking "Settings" under the chart.

But the single biggest welcome addition is the ability to chart advanced technical information. Simple moving averages, Moving Average Convergence Divergence, and much more! This was long overdue and now makes Google Finance a viable alternative to Yahoo! Finance, which had offered those technical analysis tools for a while now. I especially like the fact that it gives past historical values when you move the mouse over the chart. Some sites just print the lines without even giving you the latest values, let alone historical ones.

It seems that Google also added more statistics and profile information about a particular company's fundamentals. One can easily view the range, market cap, volume, dividend/yield, P/E, beta, net profit margin, return on equity, and operating margin among other things on the Summary page, and get more information by clicking the Financials tab. It still probably trails Yahoo! Finance a bit, but is a marked improvement from the past.

All in all, I'm very happy about the changes! Google Finance was my favorite finance site for charts from a graphical/user perspective, but it lacked so much information (technicals and fundamentals) that it was only a starting point. StockCharts.com is the best site I've found with regard to having the most types of charts available with ample information including technicals, but the navigation and graphical interface trails Google by a significant margin, in my opinion. Now with the enhanced features, Google Finance is a more "all-in-one" site.

Also of note is the recent redesign of Wikinvest.com. The site has some cool features not available on other sites, such as easier comparison of financials between a company and its peers, viewing metrics over time, and industry specific metrics (such as sales per restaurant for McDonald's). The charts are also very customizable and the data is organized in a very user-friendly manner. However, it lacks technical indicators among other things. Certainly, another interesting site to peruse.
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