Downloading Data:

Prepare the folder:

1. Open MS Excel, start a new "sheet"
2. Save as...in the drive...j_doe on 'ITS2.PLYMOUTH..../Home/BU439
3. ITS2 is often the "M:" drive, also known as "oz"
4. If the oz account doesn't have a "Home" folder, then create one [there is a little icon in the "save as.." window that will "create a new folder"]
5. Likewise, if there is no "BU439" folder in the "Home" folder, then create one.
6. Call the file "port.xls"
7. The file's complete address should be "http://oz.plymouth.edu/~j_doe/BU439/port.xls" ["Home" is implied; "j_doe" is an example]

Instructions for downloading stock price data:

1) Use MS Explorer as the browser for your internet searches (it's most compatible with MS Excel).

2) Go to: http://finance.yahoo.com

3) Enter the company symbol (go) [if you don't know the firms symbol, try "symbol lookup"]

4) Go to “Historical prices”

5) Use dates that will capture the last 4 quarters of data [actually the start date needs to be the trading day BEFORE the beginning of the 4 quarters of data]

6) Select all the data. Copy the selected data.

7) Open your spreadsheet and paste the data.

8) Ensure that the dates run from earliest on the top to latest on the bottom.