Traders' Tips from TASC Magazine

Relative Performance Charting

Performance charts, as described in the article "Relative Performance Charting," by Phil Doyle, can be created in MetaStock by the following means:

1. Open the charts you wish to compare, designating one of the charts as your baseline chart.
2. Select tile from MetaStock's Window menu to make all charts visible.
3. Plot the performance indicator into a new inner window in each of the open charts. You will want to change the color of each of the indicators so that you can differentiate between them when they are in the same chart.
4. In a chart other than your baseline chart, select the performance indicator. From here, you will need to either copy and paste or drag and drop (whichever you prefer), the performance indicator on top of the performance indicator in the baseline chart. If prompted, select the "merge with scales on right" option. Repeat the above steps with all of the other charts until your baseline chart contains all of the other chart's performance indicators.
5. For better viewing, maximize your baseline chart.

To plot the performance of several securities using a different symbol as the base, use these steps:

1. Create the following custom indicator:
   • Name: Baseline performance
   • Formula: P-Per()
2. Open the charts you wish to compare, designating one of the charts as your baseline chart. For this example, let's open EBAY, MSFT and CSCO, choosing CSCO as our baseline chart.
3. Select tile from MetaStock's Window menu to make all charts visible.
4. Plot the Performance indicator into a new inner window in each of the open charts. You will want to change the color of each of the indicators so that you can differentiate between them when they are in the same chart.
5. Drag the Performance indicator from EBAY's chart, and place on top of the Performance indicator in your baseline chart (CSCO).
6. Plot the Baseline performance indicator directly on top of EBAY's performance indicator in CSCO's chart.
7. Move the resulting plot to the chart in which you wish to compare the relative performance in. Close EBAY's chart.
8. Repeat steps 5-7 for all other securities.
9. You should be left with a single chart containing all of the Baseline Performance plots.

In MetaStock Professional version 7.0 and above, the procedure can be simplified by using the Security () function instead of the p variable. However, a separate custom formula needs to be created for each symbol you wish to use as the baseline chart. The formula is written after the following model:

Name: Baseline Performance with .SPX
Formula: Per()-Security(".SPX", Per())

The above formula uses the ticker symbol .SPX as the baseline. To use a different symbol, just change .SPX to the desired symbol. Additionally, the above formula assumes that the ticker symbol of the baseline is located in the same folder as the symbol you are plotting the above formula on. If the location is different, you will need to change the formula to include the correct path. For example, if the ticker symbol .SPX were located in the folder C:\MetaStock Data\index, the formula would be written as:

Formula: Per()-Security("C:\MetaStock Data\index\.SPX", Per () )

Using the above formula, MetaStock Pro users can plot this indicator instead of the Performance indicator.

1. Create a custom indicator using the formula listed above
2. Open the charts you wish to compare, designating one of the charts as your baseline chart.
3. Select tile from MetaStock's Window menu to make all charts visible.
4. Plot the custom indicator into a new inner window in each of the open charts. You will want to change the color of each of the indicators so that you can differentiate between them when they are in the same chart.
5. In a chart other than your baseline chart, select the performance indicator. From here, you will need to either copy and paste or drag and drop (whichever you prefer), the performance indicator on top of the performance indicator in the baseline chart. If prompted, select the "merge with scales on right" option. Repeat the above steps with all of the other charts until your baseline chart contains all of the other chart's performance indicators.
6. For better viewing, maximize your baseline chart.