Which online services offer logarithmic charts for equities such as index funds and ETFs?

Question

The way Google Finance does the logarithmic representation is more a cry to absurdism, rather than logarithmic. So which services offer the logarithmic valuations, not just a bit axis moving? And it would be useful to know which base they use in the presentation. Any such service around?

Answer 1

The charts on nasdaq.com are log based, if you look closely you can see that the spacing between evenly incremented prices is tighter at the top of the chart and wider at the bottom. It's easiest to see on a stock with a wide price range using candlestick where you can clearly see the grid.

I'm also not seeing the "absurdism" you indicate when I look at google finance with the settings ticked to use log on the price axis. I see what I'd expect which is basically a given vertical differential on the price axis representing the same percentage change in price no matter where it is located.

For example if I look at GOOG from the earliest date they have (Aug 20 2004) to a nice high point (dec 7 2007) I see a cart where the gap from the the bottom of the chart (seems to be right around 100) to the 200 point, (a 100% increase) is the same as from 200 to 400 (a 100% increase) is the same as 400 to 800 (a 100# increase)

That's exactly what I expect from a 'log' chart on a financial site, each relative move up or down of the same distance, represents the same relative change in value. So I'm having difficulty understanding what your complaint is.

(note: I'm using chrome, which is the browser I'd expect to work best with any google website. results with other browsers could of course vary)

If you want to do some other wacky math with the axis then I humbly suggest that something like Excel is your friend. Goto the charts at nasdaq.com get the chart displaying the period you care about, click the chart to display the unlying data, there will be an option to download the data. cram it into excel and go wild as you want with charting it out.

e.g.

1. go to the nasdaq basic charting page, for example http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/chartingbasics.aspx?symbol=MSFT&selected=MSFT
2. move your mouse on top of the chart and click
3. a new window opens that has a table with the data from the chart, and at the top is a link that says 'Download This File in Excel Format'
4. click that link.

note that step 2 links to client side javascript, so you will need javascript enabled, if you are running something like noscript, disable it for this site. Also since the data opens in a new window, you may also need to enabled 'popups' for the site.

(and yes, I sometimes get an annoying news alert advert popup and have to close it when the chart first appears.. oh well it pays the rent and nasdaq is not charging you so for access so such is the price for a free site. )