Stock Pricing and Ticker Symbols

GnuCash provides a somewhat rudimentary automated stock quote gathering system.

If a GnuCash stock account is suitably configured, and the host computer is connected to the internet, the program gnc-prices may be used to load stock and mutual fund price quotes from various web sites directly into GnuCash.

To make use of this facility, the following must be done:

A sample image is shown below:


Sample Diagram

To update the prices stored in a gnucash account file, run the command line command gnc-price, specifying the filename; for example:

    gnc-prices myaccts.xac

Running this command will print various diagnostic messages to the screen while it loads data. It will work only when the host computer is attached to the internet. It can function in conjunction with masquerading-style firewalls and proxy servers.

The command can be run many times in one day; however, it will update the accounts at most once with the most recent trading days price data.

Thus, if gnc-prices is run on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, only two price entires will be made: one containing Friday's data, and one containing Monday's data, since the Saturday and Sunday runs will only retrieve the Friday closing price.

To keep gnc-prices from updating one account, while allowing it to update another account, merely mark the data source for that account as (none). You can do this from the Edit Account window.

After running gnc-prices for a few days, your accounts will begin to resemble the following:


Later Ticker Listing

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