What Is a Stock Quote?
A stock quote is a snapshot of a stock's current and recent trading data — essentially a scorecard. Every brokerage and financial website shows you the same core fields. Knowing what each means lets you evaluate a stock in seconds.
In PaperTrade Academy: The watchlist and order panel display live quote data. Understand each field before you place a trade on any position.
The Core Quote Fields
Price & Change
| Field | What it means |
|---|---|
| Last price | Most recent trade executed |
| Change ($) | Today's price change from yesterday's close |
| Change (%) | Today's change as a percentage |
| Open | First trade price of today's session |
| Previous close | Yesterday's closing price |
A price of $47.82 with a change of +$1.23 (+2.64%) means the stock opened the day lower and has since gained $1.23.
Bid & Ask
| Field | What it means |
|---|---|
| Bid | Highest price a buyer currently offers |
| Ask | Lowest price a seller currently accepts |
| Spread | Ask − Bid (the cost of immediacy) |
Liquid large-cap stocks (Apple, Microsoft) have spreads of $0.01. Illiquid small-cap stocks may have spreads of $0.50 or more.
Volume
| Field | What it means |
|---|---|
| Volume | Number of shares traded so far today |
| Avg volume (30-day) | Average daily volume over the past 30 days |
| Relative volume | Today's volume ÷ average volume |
Relative volume is your best tell for unusual activity. Relative volume of 3.0 means today's volume is 3× the average — something is happening.
Range Data
| Field | What it means |
|---|---|
| Day range | Today's low and high prices |
| 52-week range | Lowest and highest prices over the past year |
A stock trading near its 52-week high shows strength; one near its 52-week low may be under pressure — or a bargain. Context matters.