REGISTRATION/ORDER FORM newSSG V4.0 COMBINED Software Dec. 1991 Please complete this form and send it to the address below to register and order the newSSG COMBINED Software. You will receive the latest version of the software, be kept informed of major releases, an extensive manual, support and special pricing on future major releases. newSSG COMBINED Software supports IBM and 100% compatible with a hard disk drive. Displays supported are CGA, EGA, VGA, or Hercules Graphics. Printer should be Epson (FX 80 or LQ 2500), IBM ProPrinter, HP LaserJet II (for EGA and VGA), or 100% compatible. Include your specifications of your system for other hardware configurations. Prices for newSSG V4.0 COMBINED Software: Regular Price V4.0 Previous newSSG First Time Buyer Licenced User DEMO Only Canada $Cdn 170.00 $Cdn 50.00 $Cdn $12.00 United States $US 155.00 $US 50.00 $US $12.00 International $US 170.00 $US 55.00 $US $15.00 Delivery of the software and 110 page manual is within 5 days of receiving your order. BC residents add 6% PST. All Canadian orders add 7% GST. Discounts for quantity orders are available. Please write for details. Address: Corry DalMaso Phone 604-274-6787 6071 Doulton Ave. Richmond B.C., V7C 5A2 Canada Name......................................Phone......................... Address................................................................. City.................................Province/State..................... Country...............................Post/Zip Code..................... Amount enclosed .............. Current software version number (from Main Menu)........................ Software serial number (if previously registered)....................... How did you find out about this software?............................... ........................................................................ Computer (XT, AT, 386, etc.)......................... Memory .........K Display (colour/mono) ........... Graphic Screen (EGA, CGA, etc)........ Printer Model.......................... Hard Disk (size)......... Preferred Media (5.25" or 3.5")....... Signature ............................... Date .................. INSTRUCTIONS in RUNNING the newSSG COMBINED Software Copyright (c) 1989-1991 Corry DalMaso 6071 Doulton Ave. Richmond, BC CANADA V7C 5A2 All Rights Reserved This program is based on the NAIC Stock Selection Guide, a copyrighted publication of the National Association of Investors Corporation, 1515 East Eleven Mile Road, Royal Oak, Michigan 48067. For a full explanation of the use of the NAIC Stock Selection Guide see the NAIC Investors Manual. TABLE OF CONTENTS REGISTRATION/ORDER FORM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 INTRODUCING newSSG COMBINED. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 DISCLAIMERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 INCLUDED FILES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 SOFTWARE INSTALLATION (hard disk only) . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 USING newSSG COMBINED Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 SETUP - (SF1 Key). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 PRINTER SELECTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 PRINT STRINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 IBM Print String . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Normal Print String. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 newSSG V4.0 COMBINED Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Company Data Screen (F1 Key) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Revenue Data Screen (F2 Key) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Per Share Screen (F3 Key). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Analyze the Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Graphic Screen (front page of the SSG) (F4 Key). . . . . . . . 8 Trend Line. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Analysis Screen (back side of the SSG) (F5 Key). . . . . . . . 9 Files Menu (F6 Key) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Some pointers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 UpDate Menu (F7 Key) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 PMG Parts 1-2 (F8 Key) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 PMG Graph (F9 Key) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Comparison Guide (F10 Key) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 SETUP (SF2 Key). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Viewing and Sorting (SF6 Key). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 PERT Quarterly Worksheet (SF7 Key) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 PERT Yearly Summary (SF8 Key). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 PERT Company Summary (SF9 Key) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Screening (SF10) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 newSSG COMBINED Software FUNCTION KEY SUMMARY. . . . . . . . . 12 RELATED PROGRAMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 ERRORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 ORDERING SOFTWARE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 MACINTOSH VERSION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 This SHAREWARE Version of newSSG COMBINED Software is Free.. . 13 INTRODUCING newSSG COMBINED newSSG COMBINED permits you to identify healthy growth companies on your personal computer. These programs apply the principles and methods of the Canadian Shareowners Association (CSA) and the National Association of Investment Clubs (NAIC), including the charts and mathematical calculations necessary to prepare a Stock Selection Guide (SSG), Stock Comparison Guide (SCG), Portfolio Management Guide (PMG) and Portfolio Evaluation Review Technique (PERT). As well, a Screening feature allows you to select a subset of companies and work with only the subset. The programs have been developed from the investment manuals of the CSA and the NAIC. If you require assistance on the methods used by these organizations, please refer to one of their manuals. These notes are intended to help you operate the programs, not understand the methods that have been developed by the CSA and the NAIC. These programs work with IBM and compatible computers running MS-DOS V3.0 or greater and a hard disk drive. They support CGA, EGA, VGA and Hercules Graphic adaptors. Printing of graphic reports requires Epson (FX80 or LQ2500), IBM ProPrinter, HP LaserJet II (for EGA and VGA), or compatibles. The included text is a brief extract of the documentation supplied with the purchase of the software. We have tried to keep this instruction guide brief. PLEASE read it completely before using the programs. DISCLAIMERS Neither the CSA nor the NAIC is responsible for these programs. The author is not responsible for any uses of these programs, nor for investment decisions made as a result of using these programs. The user of these programs is responsible to test the software to ensure its suitability. INCLUDED FILES Disk 1 newSSG COMBINED SOFTWARE README.1ST Read this file first COMBINED.EXE the newSSG COMBINED Software COPYR.TXT NAIC copyright notice PROISAMD.EXE Database engine program (from Microsoft) REPAIR.BAT repair BAT file (run from COMBINED.EXE) ISAMREPR.EXE Database repair program (from Microsoft) CONFIG.DAT System description data file MSHERC.COM Hercules graphics driver (from Microsoft) MANUAL.DOC this file NEWSSG.DB Database file generated when program is first started SSG.BAT File to start newSSG COMBINED Software FORMS.DAT Data file containing the various forms AMARK.COM marks memory ARELEASE.COM releases memory of loaded programs SOFTWARE INSTALLATION (hard disk only) No installation is needed. However, it is important to set some parameters (see SETUP) so as to get the full use of your system. 1) extract and transfer files to your hard disk, 2) change directory to C:\SSG4, and 4) type SSG to start the batch file and run newSSG COMBINED. These simple steps should get you started. To have a quick appreciation of the capabilities and features of the program perform the following steps: after starting the program and doing SETUP (SF2) 1) from the Main Menu select File Operations, F6 2) from the File Operations Menu select Load File, Item 2 3) select Abbott Labs by pressing the ENTER key 4) work through all the function keys and ESC key to see how the data is presented in the various screens. One very useful feature added to newSSG COMBINED is the Page- up/Page-Down keys which will move up and down the (selected) database so that you can view companies without having to select them individually. Try this when viewing the graphics F4 for a company. All changes are reflected in all forms when viewed so that a change in the PMG will be reflected in all other forms automatically. The first time you start the program it will work with a minimal database. You will want to import some data files either newSSG, EvalForm, or SSG+ by using The File Operations Menu Items 5, 6 or 7 (see File Conversion). Not all features are described due to the briefness of this manual. USING newSSG COMBINED Software To run the newSSG COMBINED Software programs, change the current directory to the newSSG COMBINED Software directory (the default is C:\SSG4), type SSG and press the ENTER key. newSSG COMBINED Software uses a combination of Menu screens and function keys (the numbered keys from F1 to F10 and the shift version of these keys SF1 to SF10). The programs also use Menus, which are accessed by hitting the ESC key at any stage, which will suspend operations and present a Menu. Alternatively, entering a Function Key will bypass the Menu screen and go to the operation directly. SETUP - (SF2 Key) You can alter default parameters to suit your system. Make the selections appropriate for your system. Make sure you "Execute SETUP" to save these parameters otherwise they are effective for the current session only. Item 1, Auto UpDate, sets a temporary switch in the program to automatically update the company information and save the data before retrieving the next company. Do this updating from the Enter PMG Data (F8) screen as it updates Date, Prices and saves data automatically. PRINTER SELECTION Select either Epson FX 80, LQ 2500, or IBM ProPrinter II. For EGA and VGA screens you can also select HP LaserJet II and the format of the graphic print (portrait or landscape). PRINT STRINGS IMPORTANT: You can skip this section. However, if you have some understanding of computers and wish to improve the printed output, you may want to specify your own print strings. These are not necessary for proper operation of the newSSG COMBINED Software. Some examples are included below. The purpose of the print strings are to put borders and dividing lines when printing the alphanumeric portions of the reports. These strings do not affect the printed graph portion of the PMG. The graphs are generated through a "screen-print" type routine. A simple alternative to determining the proper strings for your printer is the default selection - a colon (:). A colon by itself indicates a null string and the borders and dividing lines are omitted. These strings are entered in ASCII and separated by colons (see examples below). The first string tells the printer to use the IBM character set. All printers have slight differences. Use your printer manual to select the right codes for your printer. IBM Print String The IBM string for a Citizen 120D printer is: <~><5><1> and should be coded as 27 65 12 27 126 53 49 each separated by a colon ie. 27:65:12:27:126:53:49 The commands represented above are: sets line spacing to 12/70 (or 1/6 inch) <~><5><1> sets IBM character set In general, the contents of the IBM Print String is to: 1) set the graphic character set (IBM characters) 2) set print quality (draft, letter quality etc.) Normal Print String The second string returns your printer back to its normal printing style. For the Citizen 120D, this is <@><~><5><0> or in ASCII codes 12:27:64:27:126:53:48. Each code must be separated by a colon. The second string codes should at a minimum include a reset <@>. The commands for the second print string above are: a page feed <@> reset <~><5><0> set to Epson character set In general, the Normal Print String should: 1) execute a page feed 2) reset the printer to its default conditions Some tested print strings: IBM String Normal String Default(no borders) : (colon only) 12:27:64 Alternate Default 0:0 12:27:64 Epson FX 80 27:54 12:27:64 Citizen 120D 27:65:12:27:126:53:49 12:27:64:27:126:53:58 Panasonic KX-P1124 27:65:12:27:50:27:109:51 12:27:64 Epson LQ2500 " " Roland 1012 27:65:12:27:50:27:109:51 12:27:64:27:109:48 IBM Proprinter X24 " " IBM ProPrinter II 27:54 12:27:65:12:27:50 Roland 2416/2417 27:116:1:27:54 12:27:50:27:64 HP Laser II 0:0 12:27:45:27:40:115:49:48:72 :27:38:108:48:79 If you have problems with your printer, copy the Software Commands (summary only) of the printer manual and send them (along with your order) to the author. I will determine what should work for your printer. newSSG V4.0 COMBINED Software ENTERING DATA - F1, F2, and F3 When you are ready to start entering a new company (not in the database) you will want to clear the current file from the screen if one has been loaded. To clear the working file, from the Main Menu select Update Split, F7. From the Update Menu select Item 3 New SSG and answer the prompts. Pressing ESC to get to the Main Menu, you can use the function keys to confirm that the dat has been cleared and is ready for data entry. The entering of data is free-form. move the highlighted cursor to where data is to be entered/edited, and do it. There is no limitation of the minimum amount of data. FIRST: Entering the Data Company Data Screen (F1 Key) 1) Your objective is to enter as much information as is available. Although newSSG COMBINED Software can deal with minimal amounts of data, your analysis will be severely handicapped by relying on sparse data. 2) Industry Type and Where Traded are entries which are used as Screening parameters. Therefore it is important that the entries be consistently named. To facilitate this, the program pops open a window showing current entries. If the entry you want is not on the list, press the ESC key and then enter the new industry or exchange. Your entry will be automatically added to the list. Should you wish to enter an entry from a converted file and the entry is already defined but not in the list use the A key for (A)dd to include it. To delete an entry on the list, highlight the entry and press the D key for (D)elete. The recommendations are to use standard Industry Types as used by ValueLine or other regular source of data. The same would be true for the exchanges. 3) Data for Last-Up-Date and Last Fiscal Year needs to be entered in the format MM/YY. March 1991 would be 03/91. Pressing the T key for (T)oday will enter the date automatically. NOTE that a fiscal year may end in the following year. An example will clarify this. A year-end may end on Jan 1991, but the annual report will probably be for fiscal year 1990. The correct entry for this example would be 01/90. 4) The NOTES area allows you to enter information you may wish to keep with the SSG. This may include source of data, the reason for specific choices in growth, PE's etc, records of your purchases and sales, etc. The Notes area is limited to 1000 characters, approx 12-15 lines. New information will shift the oldest information out. Revenue Data Screen (F2 Key) 1) A maximum of 7 digits of data are allowed for these entries. (I.e. 123456 or 1234.5) The UNITS row allows you to specify whether the entries for that column are in Thousands, Millions or Billions. Choose the appropriate UNIT factor by placing the cursor on the cell and pressing the SPACE bar. 2) The TAX RATE/PRE TAX INC column accepts both tax rate numbers (as a decimal fraction ie. 43.7% as .437) or Pre Tax Income in either Thousands or Millions. These can be mixed. An entry which is less than 1 will be treated as a TAX RATE. 3) Any amount of data which is available can be processed by the program. The minimum required data to generate a growth calculation is three years of data. Negative numbers are entered with a minus (-) sign. Per Share Screen (F3 Key) 1) Again, maximum 7 digits of data are allowed. 2) Three years data minimum is required to generate a growth calculation. SECOND: Analyze the Data Graphic Screen (front page of the SSG) (F4 Key) 1) The growth calculation method can be changed repeatedly with the letters (L) for Least Squares, and (P) for Mid-Point. 2) Interactive-subjective growth can be used instead of the computer generated EPS growth factor by the functions available on this screen's menu. The arrow keys move the cursor about the screen. The shift-arrow keys move the cursor at higher speed (Don't forget the NUM LOCK key). The first location or start of your growth line will be fixed by the (S) key. 3) (C) cancels the interactive-subjective growth line (if one is defined) and allows you to draw another line (if you so wish). 4) (M) moves the projected EPS line to where you think it should be reflecting your choice of starting EPS. 5) Alt-P to print the graph. (Note that in all cases, Alt-P for (P)rint, will print the form as seen on the screen). Trend Line To draw your own trend line follow these simple steps: 1) Move the graphic cursor to where you want the projection to start. 2) Press the S key for (S)tart projection. 3) Move the graphic cursor to where you want the projection to end. 4) To move the projection (up or down) press the M key for (M)ove. The arrow keys will now move your projected EPS line up or down. Analysis Screen (back side of the SSG) (F5 Key) 1) This form is divided into the Top of PMG and Bottom of PMG. 2) The PAGE-UP, PAGE-DOWN keys move you from Top to Bottom of these two screens. 3) On the Top part of this form, you can change the calculated Average Low Price, Average High P/E, and Average Low P/E simply by entering a value. A zero entry tells the program to use the value computed by the program. 4) On the Top part of this form, you move between these three entry cells by using the arrow keys. 5) On the Bottom part of this form, you can change the Estimated Hi Price and Estimated Low Price by entering a different value. A zero entry tells the program to use the computed values. When you change values, the ENTER Key will trigger a re-computation of the form. Files Menu (F6 Key) 1) Allows you to read company records. Note that for a company index with many entries you can use the first letter of the company to quickly move you to the first entry beginning with that letter. 2) You can select to retrieve a company from the whole database or, if defined, the screened database. 3) Erases a selected company record. 4) Converts files from other formats including newSSG V1.6, EvalForm and SSG+. Some pointers in the conversion of this data. 1) EvalForm and SSG+ data represents Revenue, Income, etc., by their most significant figures (ie. no representation is made for a UNITS multipliers in the newSSG COMBINED Software program). This does not affect the analysis and graphics, but for accuracy you may wish to enter the appropriate UNITS when the data is retrieved into the newSSG COMBINED Software program. 2) EvalForm and SSG+ data stores shareholder's equity in the form of "book value" per share. As a result, this data will have to be re-entered. 3) Only the raw data is converted. Interpretation of data made with the EvalForm program is not converted. UpDate Menu (F7 Key) 1) Changes data to reflect stock splits or stock consolidations. 2) Alters data to accommodate a new year of data. 3) Clears the current data so that a new SSG can be started. PMG Parts 1-2 (F8 Key) 1) Scroll up and down using the arrow keys and enter the data as available. As data is entered the effected cells are automatically updated. 2) Information from the SSG is automatically updated/added as necessary. All the data shifts when the form is full to make space for new information -automatically. PMG Graph (F9 Key) Information for the graph is derived from Parts 1-2 (F8 Key). A visual presentation of the data which includes buy/sell indicators and buy- below and alert PE are part of the display. To Print this graph press the P key for (P)rint. Comparison Guide (F10 Key) Select up to 5 companies to display and compare. Follow the prompts use the ESC key to return to the Main Menu. Print Manual/Order (SF1 Key) This key will print a copy of this manual. (The plan is to use this function key for a context sensitive help feature). SETUP (SF2 Key) Is explained above. Shift Keys SF3, SF4, and SF5 will be used for additional functionality in future releases of the software. Viewing and Sorting (SF6 Key) The data files in the selected data base are sorted by the parameter indicated. This list of parameters will be expanded in the full working version. 1) First select ascending or descending sort (Press A or D). 2) Then select the parameter to sort by. The results will be displayed on the screen. As more parameters are available than can be shown on the screen, use the cursor keys to scroll right, left, and up and down. Press the ESC key to return to the Menu and reselect for another sort or ESC again to print some or all the companies. Follow the prompts. PERT Quarterly Worksheet (SF7 Key) Information in this screen is entered in the same fashion as the PMG. Calculated values are not displayed immediately but are shown when the screen is re-displayed. PERT Yearly Summary (SF8 Key) Results from the PMG and PERT Quarterly are summarized in this screen. No data entry is required for this screen. PERT Company Summary (SF9 Key) You select the companies from the selected database to include in a PERT Summary report as per the NAIC form. You can view these on the screen (use the cursor keys to move left, right and up and down), or print the selected companies. Screening (SF10) A most powerful result of the database implementation is the ability to quickly scan the database for companies meeting specific requirements. Screening is the process by which these companies are included in the subset of companies. The menu starts by prompting a for an action as indicated in the menu line. Pressing the ENTER key will bring pop-open a window with a number of parameters. Generally, you will be following 3 steps: 1) select the parameter ie EPSGr (EPS Growth) 2) select the operator ie Greater or Less than 3) the parameter Value. ie .15 (for 15%) This process will select all companies which have an EPS Growth greater than 15%. These steps can be repeated 5 times to consecutively re-select companies which meet more specific requirements. ie the second set of steps may be 1) RelVl (Relative Value)2) Less than 3) 1 (the value) and a third set of steps 1) SSGDt (Last update) 2) After 3) 03/01/91 (for Mar 1, 91) These three sets would specify a subset database of companies which would contain only companies having greater than 15% EPS growth, and Relative Value of Less then 1 which were updated since Mar 1, 1991. You will see the number of companies meeting these stricter parameter on the Menu. The selected data base can be further worked with all the other function in the newSSG COMBINED Software. File Operations (F6) allows you to chose from the Screened or full databases. You can reset part or all the Screened database from the Screening Menu by pressing numerals 1 to 5, as indicated in the menu line. Another very useful use of the Screening feature is in the updating of company data. You can select all companies from a specific exchange (Trded) and only those last updated (SSGDt) before a specific date. The resulting Screened database can then be used to quickly "flip" through each company as new data is entered (both in the SSG and PMG). One item to note. When updating or editing data from the Screened database, information will be updated to the original data base not the Screened database. newSSG COMBINED Software FUNCTION KEY SUMMARY Escape - Returns to previous menu and exits program F1 - Enter Company Data * Enter Notes F2 - Enter Revenue Data F3 - Enter PerShare Data F4 - Graph Company Data (Part 1 or Front of SSG) * Print Graph F5 - Analyze Company Data (Parts 2 - 5 or Back of SSG) Top of Form (Parts 2 and 3) Bottom of Form (Parts 4 and 5) F6 - File Operations Save Data Load Data Erase Company Data Import newSSG V1.6 data File(s) Import EvalForm data File(s) F7 - Update/Enter New Company New SSG (a new blank form) Share Split/Consolidation Add New Year's Data F8 - PMG Enter Quarterly Data F9 - PMG Graph Data * F10 - Comparison Guide SF1 - Print Manual/Order SF2 - SETUP SF3 - SF5 Not Active SF6 - Viewing and Sorting SF7 - PERT Quarterly Data Entry SF8 - PERT Yearly Data Summary SF9 - PERT Selected Reporting SF10 - Company Screening * Page Up and Page Down keys are active to switch to next/ previous company RELATED PROGRAMS PROISAMD is the database engine which allows the many different function of newSSG COMBINED. It needs to be loaded before running COMBINED. The SSG.BAT file contains the proper command sequence to install and de-install this engine. ISAMREPR is a database repair program. On occasions (terminating the program unconventionally) the database could become corrupted. This COMBINED program sense and fix the database and restore it to operation. To run the repair outside of the COMBINED program, type ISAMREPR NEWSSG.DB and the process will start. ERRORS Although care has been taken to provide "clean" software, its probable that errors will be found. Most obvious errors are trapped and handled within the programs so that under normal use, you should not experience unreasonable errors. Should you find unacceptable errors, please write me a note and include supporting information so that I may correct the problem. I thank-you in advance for your participation. ORDERING SOFTWARE You can print an order (and this manual) form from the Main Menu SF1. Current version of the software runs on IBM or compatible with CGA, EGA, VGA and Hercules graphic adaptors. Specify your preferred media size (ie. 5.25 or 3.25 inch media). Printing of forms (including graphics) requires a printer with Epson (FX 80 or LQ 2500), IBM ProPrinter II, HP LaserJet II or compatibles. If your system is different, and are still interested in this software, write your specific system needs to me and I will see how I can help you. MACINTOSH VERSION The software is written in a form which allows for easy conversion to the Apple MacIntosh. Should you be interested in this format, please register your request. Only after sufficient requests are received, can a decision be made to proceed. SHAREWARE This software is provided to you so that you have an opportunity to try it and determine if it is suitable. Should you determine this software to be suitable for your purpose, please fill out the order form above and send it along with your cheque (payable to the author) to register and receive the latest version with manual. Registration also entitles you to support (by telephone or mail) and to receive special pricing on future releases. This software can be distributed at no charge only, and with all files as provided and not modified in any way. Dec, 1991