Introduction to LIVE Terminal

Ever wondered how the stock market operated before the existence of the Internet?

In the early days, stock exchanges were physical locations where investors would gather to trade shares through brokers.It used to be like a crowded, noisy room where people shouted and waved papers. People would tell their brokers (middlemen who buy and sell stocks) what they wanted to buy or sell, and the brokers would try to make the trade happen. Orders were verbally communicated leading to chaos and an error-prone environment. Orders could be misinterpreted, execution times could be delayed, and transparency wasn't always guaranteed.

The introduction of telephones offered some improvement, allowing investors to place orders by calling their brokers. However, this method still relied on human interaction and wasn't very convenient.

The Internet Revolution: Introduction of Live Trading

Then came the Internet and things changed! Web-based trading platforms emerged, leading in the era of live trading. This meant investors could now place orders electronically, directly from their computers. This not only increased efficiency but also improved transparency by providing real-time market data and order execution details.

Today you have three options with you to place a transaction in the stock market:

1) Call & Trade: This traditional method involves contacting a stockbroker by phone to place buy or sell orders. This can be convenient for those who are unfamiliar with online platforms, but can be time- consuming and more expensive.

2) Use a Website: Most stockbrokers offer user-friendly websites where you can place orders yourself. These websites are easy to use and give you access to a lot of information, like stock prices and charts.

3) Use a Mobile App: Want to trade stocks on the go? There are apps for that! Many online brokers offer mobile apps that let you buy and sell stocks from your phone or tablet. This is a great option for people who are always on the move.

To understand this chapter in detail, we will look at the Kotak Neo - new generation trading terminal offered by Kotak Securities. To access the terminal, you must have a trading account with your broker. All good terminals offer various terminals. We will start with a few of those features here.

The Login Process

You can likely find the login page by visiting the Kotak Neo website or launching the mobile app. Kotak Neo understands the importance of convenience. That's why they offer three seamless methods to log in to your live terminal platform:

1. Login with Mobile: Simply enter your registered mobile number and password associated with your Kotak Neo account.
2. Login with PAN: Enter your PAN and password to gain access to your investment hub.
3. Scan QR code: Looking for a touchless login option? Kotak Neo also offers a secure QR code login method.

Once you've successfully logged in using any of these methods, you'll be granted access to Kotak Neo's live terminal platform.

Let's Explore the Kotak Neo Live Terminal:

Once you log in, you see the home page of the Kotak Neo live terminal. This page has everything you need to trade stocks easily.

The dashboard is your main control centre. Here, you can see an overview of your investments, including your equity holdings and mutual funds. The investments summary gives you a quick glance at your portfolio's value and performance.

Real-Time Market Data

At the top left, you can see the real-time data for major indices like NIFTY and BANKNIFTY. This section shows you the current value, the points gained or lost, and the percentage change. It helps you stay updated with the market's overall direction.

Watch-lists

On the left side, you have your watch-list. This is a list of stocks you want to keep an eye on. You can see the current prices and how much they have changed. For example, ETFS like MIDSMALL, SMALLCAP, and NIFTYBEES are listed with their latest price changes. You can add or remove stocks from this list based on your preferences.

Investment Products

In the middle of the screen, you see the "Investment Products" section. Here you can explore different options like:

• Mutual Funds: Check out trending mutual funds.
• IPO (Initial Public Offerings): See which companies are offering new shares to the public.
• Stockcase: Discover stock baskets that group different stocks together for diversified investing.
• Sipit: Invest in ETFs (Exchange-Traded Funds) and stock SIPs (Systematic Investment Plans).

Investing Tools

Below the investment products, you'll find tools that help you make better trading decisions:

• Screeners: Use these to find stocks that meet certain criteria.
• Results Dashboard: Look at the performance reports of different companies.
• Superstar Investors: Get insights from successful investors.
• Trade with Charts: Analyze stock trends and make informed trades using various charting tools.

Research and Insights

This section provides you with valuable information to help you make informed decisions:

• Investment Ideas: Find new investment opportunities.
• Trading Calls: Get expert recommendations on which stocks to buy or sell.
  

Market Updates

Stay informed with the latest news in the market:

• Live News: Get real-time updates on market events.
• Short News: Quick summaries of important news.

Another very useful section on the terminal is the "Marker Movers". This section shows you the stocks that have a major impact on market trends and performance.

Top Gainers and Losers

In this section, you can see the top gainers and losers in the market. This helps you understand which stocks are performing well and which are not.

• Top Gainers: These are the stocks that have increased the most in value. For example, stocks like LTIM, TCS, and ONGC are listed with their latest prices and percentage gains.
  

• Top Losers: These are the stocks that have decreased the most in value. For example, stocks like ASIANPAINT, COALINDIA, and HEROMOTOCO are listed with their latest prices and percentage losses.
  

You can view all the gainers and losers to get a complete picture of the market's performance.

Conclusion

Hope this chapter has helped you understand the concept and functionalities of a live trading terminal. By using the example of the Kotak Neo live terminal, we've explored how modern trading platforms provide real-time data, comprehensive tools, and valuable insights to make trading more efficient and informed.

In the next chapter, we will study the dashboard in detail, exploring its features and how to use them effectively for your trading needs.