How to Find Mutual Fund Quotes

Mutual fund quotes are an indispensable part of the investment process. No matter which stage you're at, there's no doubt mutual fund quotes are a consistent part of your life. Investors turn to quotes to establish essential information about a fund prior to purchase. Once an investment has been made, quotes can be used to stay up-to-date with current market value and performance. When you're ready to sell your shares, you'll turn once again to mutual fund quotes to find out the net asset value (NAV) of your fund.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Financial Web site
• Internet access
• Mutual fund ticker symbol

Searching Mutual Fund Quotes

1. Visit a financial Web site you feel comfortable using (see resources). You can forgo using the Internet by checking for funds in the finance section of your local newspaper.

2. Find the mutual fund you're interested in by using its ticker symbol. Alternatively, you can type in the fund name.

3. Examine the opening price, closing price, day ratio and 52-week range for your mutual fund. This will help you get a better idea of how a given fund has performed over a range of dates.

4. Compare several different mutual funds to determine which would best satisfy your investment goals. For comparisons on the Internet, some Web sites will allow you to select several mutual funds for a side-by-side comparison.

5. Determine the process for buying shares in the mutual fund. Information is usually provided about the minimum capital needed, as well as which brokers manage the fund.

Tips & Warnings

• If you're having difficulty locating a specific fund, try searching for a fund family. This way, you'll be presented with a list of all the funds available within that family.
• When you're not searching for a specific fund, try using an advanced search feature to narrow down the list of mutual funds based on your investment criteria.
• If you already own shares in a mutual fund, getting a quote won't tell you the value of your shares. Due to options like reinvestment privileges, you may own more shares than you are aware of. The best way to determine the value of your shares is by examining your most current statement. Alternatively, if you know the amount of shares you have, you can multiply this number by the net asset value (NAV) found on the quote page.