Add a comparator index to stock/fund reports
Although it is helpful to generate a report that shows your stock/fund is up 5%
for the year, it is also very important to be able to compare it to an
appropriate index which may show that most stocks/funds of that type are up
10%. Index information could be obtained using the Security Editor and the
Price Editor but there does not appear to be any way to generate a report that
will plot the two values on the same graph.
Recommendations:
1. On the Price Editor screen, change the label "Namespace" to "Type" so that
it matches the label name on other screens that contain this set of values.
Add a category "Stock/Fund Index" to the list of "Types"
In Reports > Assets & Liabilities > Average Balance > Options > Accounts:
Create a check-box "Display selected accounts separately" Rather than adding
the sum of selected accounts into a single bar, this option would display two
bars next to each other.In Reports > Assets & Liabilities > Price Scatterplot > Price: Create 2 or 3
Price of Commodity lines so that a fund, plus another fund and/or index can be
displayed on the chart.
OR
- In Reports > Assets & Liabilities > Average Balance > Options > Display: Create a check-box for "Display Type: Bar-graph" and a check-box for "Display Type Line-graph".
Askarii
shared this idea
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Askarii
commented
Thank you Christian, for pointing out that it is possible to have side by side
bar-graphs using the Asset Barchart report. The default setting for that
report is "use stacked bars" and I failed to note the check box. That report
may be somewhat helpful when comparing stocks/funds that I already own. But, on
further reflection, it will not be possible to display the Index information I
am hoping for without a new feature.Here is the dilemma. To use the current Asset Barchart report to do a side by
side comparison, it would be necessary to create bogus "Index accounts" that
duplicate the dollar and share data for each real stock/fund in your portfolio.
This, of course, would create chaos in GnuCash totals.To be able to capture index data without creating chaos, it is necessary to
first establish a new "Type" category "Stock/Fund Index", that can be
associated with a specific stock/fund, that doesn't impact real ledger totals.
Ideally, it would be wonderful if GnuCash could create a stock/fund graph, like
Morningstar, that includes the fund you own plus two indexes. Here is an
example: http://quote.morningstar.com/fund/f.aspx?t=FAIRX&t1=1295434825 In
Moringstar's case they have to use a $10,000 growth scenario. But GnuCash could
offer real dollar and percentage information.I sure hope that a GnuCash developer will be intrigued by this possibility. You
can do it! I know you can!Thanks for your consideration,
Don
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Askarii
commented
> 3. In Reports > Assets & Liabilities > Average Balance > Options > Accounts:
> Create a check-box "Display selected accounts separately" Rather than adding
> the sum of selected accounts into a single bar, this option would display two
> bars next to each other.Isn't this available in the other barchart reports?
The other points are interesting suggestions, however I don't know whether any
of the developers are going to work on that in the near future.