I"m trying to get my head around the profile performance, and how it is calculated.

Yesterday (tuesday), before the open, mine was listed at 15.1%, Not bad... close to getting in that top 20 club!

I started the day with MSFT which up a few percent, and an option that did not change in price.

Toward the end of the day, i put on a short position in TOL. The position is smaller than my MSFT. That ended the day 1 penny against me.

Now... on my profile it says my "performance" in TOL, which i lost 1 penny on, is positive 3.1%. I've never had a position in TOL before, and at no time was it NEAR positive 3.1%. In fact I lost a penny.

So today (Wednsday), my total performance in 9.7%.

If my larger position gained 2% (or something like that), and my smaller position lost 1 penny, or 0.0%, how can my profile performance go down by about 5 and a half percent? I made money yesterday... Am i missing something? I don't use my profile performance to measure my performance, but it's kind of neat to look at, and look at other peoples, especially if they are giving you advice! haha.... 

So what am i missing?

I believe that the profile performance is calculated based on settled transactions (3 business days for stock and 1 business day for option to settle); therefore,  your current profile performance ranking today doesn't include the stocks that you just bought or sold yesterday.

elderzap:

Toward the end of the day, i put on a short position in TOL. The position is smaller than my MSFT. That ended the day 1 penny against me.

Now... on my profile it says my "performance" in TOL, which i lost 1 penny on, is positive 3.1%. I've never had a position in TOL before, and at no time was it NEAR positive 3.1%. In fact I lost a penny.

Since the "performance" in your stock portpolio is calculated once a day around midnight, Zecco's computer would use whatever the current market price at that time.  Therefore, even when TOL was closed with 1 penny down, it probably was up during the after-market hour.  This would explain why you are up 3.1% on TOL when you have never had a position in TOL before.

Stardust:

  Since the "performance" in your stock portpolio is calculated once a day around midnight, Zecco's computer would use whatever the current market price at that time.  Therefore, even when TOL was closed with 1 penny down, it probably was up during the after-market hour.  This would explain why you are up 3.1% on TOL when you have never had a position in TOL before.

The penny lost WAS the last price in after hours trading. I shorted toward the end of the day, and like i said, at no time was it even close to positive 3.1%

I asked pretty much the same question a while back.  http://www.zecco.com/forums/Profile-performance-vs-Trading-cent-27598_1.aspx

Here's the responce I got from Zecco:

• Performance on your profile in ZeccoShare is calculated by GainsKeeper:
  
• GainsKeeper uses the time weighted rate of return method
• "This method seeks a high level of accuracy by weighing the investment portfolio’s cash flows by the amount of time that they are invested. Cash flows are investor initiated external capital additions or withdrawals of cash/securities i.e. buying and selling of securities. Dividend and interest income are not considered cash flows but are a component of the return. Performance is calculated daily, after market close."
• For a way more detailed explanation, read this ZeccoPulse post on ZeccoShare Performance Technicalities

Stardust:

I believe that the profile performance is calculated based on settled transactions (3 business days for stock and 1 business day for option to settle); therefore,  your current profile performance ranking today doesn't include the stocks that you just bought or sold yesterday.

I don't see think so, since i shorted late in the day, and that night my TOL position was listed in my proflie, and the 3.1% was there, added up with my MSFT position which i've had awhile

Hi everyone -

We're working closely with our partner Gainskeeper to make sure that performance numbers are displaying accurately.  I may reach out to a couple individually of you for some help.

Thanks,

Tony Leach
Product Manager, ZeccoShare

---

tonyleachsf, Zecco Associate

I'm confused by this as well. I bought DAKT at 15.06 a share. It is currently trading around 15.75 but my performance lists me as down by 8.2%. I have few other stocks that are in the same boat. My performance page says that I'm up only 4.9% but when I look at my P&L in the trading area it says I'm up 19%. Why is there a difference?

elderzap:

I don't see think so, since i shorted late in the day, and that night my TOL position was listed in my proflie, and the 3.1% was there, added up with my MSFT position which i've had awhile

Well, just wait for 2 more business days (today plus 2 more business days = 3 business days), then tell me if I'm right.   Btw, I'm talking about the performance number underneath your avatar (this is the one that's based on settled transactions).

Seriously, what investor measure's their performance against time invested? 


Good Luck,
Scott
S&P 500 Trend