The Header: Price, Change, Market Cap
The header section gives you instant context about any stock. Let's decode each element.
What You'll See
When you open a stock page, the header shows:
AAPL - Apple Inc. Technology | Consumer Electronics
$178.52 ▲ +2.34 (+1.33%) Market Cap: $2.78T
Let's break down each piece.
The Ticker and Name
Ticker Symbol
- AAPL = Apple's unique identifier
- Used for trading and searching
- 1-5 letters typically
Company Name
- Full legal name of the company
- Helps confirm you have the right stock
The License Plate
The ticker is like a car's license plate—a unique identifier that lets you find and trade the exact stock you want. The company name is like the car's make and model.
The Price Information
Current Price
- $178.52 = Last traded price
- Updates throughout market hours
- What you'd pay to buy one share right now
Price Change
- +$2.34 = Dollar change from yesterday's close
- +1.33% = Percentage change
- Green (▲) = up, Red (▼) = down
What It Tells You
- How the stock is moving TODAY
- Not necessarily meaningful for long-term investors
- Useful for timing entries/exits
Key Takeaways
- Ticker is the stock's unique identifier
- Current price is what you'd pay right now
- Daily change shows today's movement
- Market cap shows the company's total value
Market Cap
Market Cap = Stock Price × Shares Outstanding
For Apple: $178.52 × 15.6 billion shares ≈ $2.78 Trillion
Market Cap Categories
| Category | Market Cap | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Mega Cap | $200B+ | Apple, Microsoft, Amazon |
| Large Cap | $10B - $200B | Nike, Starbucks, FedEx |
| Mid Cap | $2B - $10B | Many regional companies |
| Small Cap | $300M - $2B | Smaller public companies |
| Micro Cap | Under $300M | Very small companies |
Why Market Cap Matters
- Size indicator — How big is this company?
- Liquidity proxy — Larger = easier to trade
- Risk indicator — Smaller = often more volatile
- Index inclusion — S&P 500 requires large cap
Sector and Industry
Sector
Broad category (11 GICS sectors):
- Technology, Healthcare, Financials, etc.
Industry
More specific classification:
- Consumer Electronics, Semiconductors, Software, etc.
Why it matters: Context for comparing metrics and understanding the business.
Quick Context Check
Before diving into scores, glance at the header to confirm:
- Right company? (ticker/name)
- Reasonable size? (market cap)
- Sector you understand? (industry)
This takes 2 seconds and prevents mistakes.
What NOT to Focus On
Daily Price Changes
- Mostly noise for long-term investors
- Don't let a red day scare you
- Don't let a green day create FOMO
Exact Price
- $178 vs $180 doesn't matter much
- Focus on valuation, not price level
- A $500 stock can be cheaper than a $50 stock
Header Traps
- Panicking over daily price drops
- Thinking low price = cheap stock
- Ignoring market cap (size matters)
- Not confirming you have the right ticker
Next up: The Score Card—the heart of ShareValue.ai analysis.