File ❯ New
With the File > New
menu you can create the different assets PP can manage.
Portfolio (File)
The option File > New > File
initiates a wizard for creating a new portfolio. Within the wizard, you need to set the base currency of the portfolio, create a security and deposit account (mandatory), add additional deposit accounts, and include securities and taxonomies (optional). A detailed explanation of the wizard can be found in Getting Started > Creating a Portfolio File.
Security
The menu option File > New > Security
is self-explaining: it allows you to create a new security. This can also be done at other locations within the UI; for example as part of the portfolio creation wizard (see above), or with the little green icon next to Securities in the sidebar or in the All Securities
view.
You can either choose to create a new empty instrument (e.g. security) or to search for an existing one. You can type (part of) the security name in the search box. Choosing from the drop-down box All
, you can search for shares or bonds or both. After clicking the Search button, the list below will be populated with possible target instruments. The following fields are displayed for each instrument and will be used upon selecting the security: Name
, Symbol
, ISIN
, WKN
, Type
, Exchange
, Currency
, and Source
(see Basic concepts > PP-terminology for a definition of each term).
Once the correct security has been selected, proceed to the next step by clicking on the Apply button. Some information such as name, symbol and historical quotes will already be filled in, based on the selected data source. You should always check the info, especially the stock market. All the info can be changed; even the name. Alternatively, one may initiate the process with an empty security (see Figure 3) and manually input the required information.
While only the name
is obligatory, there are several other fields that need attention. They are grouped into 5 sub panels, marked with a yellow line in Figure 3.
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Security Master Data
This panel is entirely visible in Figure 3. The currency
field must correspond to the currency in which the security is traded. Once transactions are recorded with this security, the currency cannot be changed. Clicking the currency box will reveal a drop-down with all available currencies.
The fields ISIN
, Symbol
, and WKN
have been explained earlier. The symbol field is particularly crucial as it is utilized in the Quote Feed for Historical Quotes (further details below).
The Calendar
dropdown enables you to choose a specific stock market calendar, such as Euronext, London Stock Exchange, New York Stock Exchange, etc. These calendars contain information about trading days, (bank) holidays, affecting some calculations, the display of price gaps, and the execution of savings plans. A more detailed description is available in the Help > Preferences > Calendar
menu.
A security can be set to active or inactive
. If set to inactive, the security will not appear in buy or sell dialogs, and historical prices will not be updated automatically.
At the bottom of Figure 3, you can add a personal note
for this security.
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Additional Attributes
Besides the attributes from the Security Master Data, you can use other attributes; for example a logo. These additional attributes can be added to tables such as
Reports > Performance > Securities
. The values of these attributes must be entered manually and cannot be used in calculations.Additional attributes are defined in
(left) Sidebar > General Data > Settings > Attributes : Securities
(at the bottom). More info here. -
Taxonomies
A taxonomy serves as a classification system for your securities. For instance, the existing
Type of Security
taxonomy allows you to classify your securities into categories such as stock, Equity Fund, Exchange Traded Fund (ETF), Bond, Stock Option, Index, or Currency. It is essential to set the correct type in theTaxonomies
panel when adding or editing the security (refer to Figure 3).Other valuable presets include Industries, aligned with the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS), regions (up to country level), and assets (cash, equity, debt, and more).
To access these taxonomies, navigate to the
Left sidebar > Taxonomies
(see Figure 6). Click on the+ button
to view all presets or create your custom taxonomy. -
Historical Quotes
For evaluating your portfolio, you need the current & historical prices of the security. In this panel (see Figure 4) you can set the data source of the
Quote Feed
. AsProvider
, you can choose between several alternatives: Yahoo Finance, Alpha Vantage, Quandl, ... (see Figure 5). You can even refer to a webpage (e.g. from an investor site) that contains these historical data; an example is given in Import fund data from Morningstar. Or you can create them yourself and import the quotes from a csv-file.Depending upon the chosen provider, you may need to input additional information. If the provider is a website, you need to specify a URL. If the provider covers more than one
Exchange
, you need to select the correct one.Downloading historical prices for large-cap (big companies) stocks is relatively straightforward. However, obtaining data for less common stocks, mutual funds, bonds, bitcoin, etc., can sometimes be more challenging. We explore these topics in depth in Downloading Historical Prices in the how-to section.
Note
An alternative, but convenient method for securities listed on XETRA is to utilize the Portfolio Report website. See how-to > Using Portfolio Report for more info.
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Latest Quote
The Latest Quote panel is very similar to the Historical Quotes panel. Here, you can configure values for real-time values such as Latest Price, Latest Trade, Day's High, Day's Low, and Volume.
Cryptocurrency
Specifically for adding and managing cryptocurrency-related information within the portfolio.
Exchange Rate
Used for handling exchange rate information, which is crucial for portfolios involving multiple currencies.
Consumer Price Index
For incorporating consumer price index data, providing a macroeconomic indicators for financial analysis.
Taxonomy
Used for managing classifications or categorizations of assets based on a defined taxonomy.
Watchlist
A watchlist is a manual grouping of securities. To create a new list, navigate to File > New > Watchlist
in the menu. Once created, it will appear under the All Securities
heading. You can create as many watchlists as you want; in Figure 6, two lists are created with the names Indexes
and New Watchlist
.
Using the context menu (right-click on a list), you can rename, delete, or move (up) the watchlist (refer to Figure 6). Adding securities to the watchlist is a manual process done by dragging one or more securities from the All Securities
view to the watchlist. To remove a security from the watchlist, right-click the security and choose 'Remove from Your_Watchlist'.
Watchlists inherit the view from All Securities
. Changing the view in one watchlist will also change the view in all other watchlists, including the All Securities
view.