Once you are connected to the Internet, you should go to the following web address: http://www.companyrefs.com/refsonline

You may wish to bookmark this for future use. When the REFS Online login screen appears, key in your Login Name and Password and click the Log On button. This will take you through to the REFS Online main index screen.

Using the Online Help facility

The Help button gives you access to a comprehensive range of help topics and to detailed technical definitions of all the calculations used within REFS Online.

Say, for example, you would like to know more about the small circles or ‘moons’ shown in the shaded panel in the top right-hand corner.

Click on the Help button to display the index of Help topics. Under Technical Definitions, choose the Technical Definitions Interactive Page.

Move your mouse and click on the area of interest, in this case the shaded panel containing the ‘moons’. This brings up a list covering all the elements of the shaded panel, with ‘Market and sector moons’ about halfway down.

Visually see how to use this help facility...

Changing the number of companies shown on each screen

You can easily alter the size of each page by changing your Setup Preferences. Simply click on the Setup Prefs button, change the number, and click ‘Accept’.

Remember, however, that the size - and download time - of each page will increase in direct proportion to the number of companies you specify.

Visually see how change the number of companies shown on each screen

Find a company and see the REFS page

Click once in the Find box, then key in the first few letters of the company name (note: the fewer the better - two or three are usually enough) and press Return. To see the REFS page, click once on the RP button. When the REFS page appears, you can print off a copy by clicking on the Print icon above the top left-hand corner.

Note: to reset the Find facility and return to the REFS Online main index screen, you should delete all text from the Find box, then press Return.

Visually see how to find a company and see the REFS page

Find a company and see the latest 15 minutes-delayed share price

Click once in the Find box, then key in the first few letters of the company name (note: the fewer the better - two or three are usually enough) and press Return. To see the latest share price, 15 minutes delayed, click once on the SW (Share Watch) button. This will also show snapshot prices at half-hourly intervals during the day.

Note: to reset the Find facility and return to the REFS Online main index screen, you should delete all text from the Find box, then press Return.

Visually see how to diplay a company and see the latest 15 minutes-delayed share price

Change the display order

To change the display order, click once on the chosen column heading, for example Market Capitalisation. To reverse the display order, click once more on the same column heading.

Note: the first click creates a descending order, and this applies to all columns including the company name. So if you wish to revert to alphabetical order, you need to click twice on the company name column.

Visually see how to change the display order

See more columns of data

Initially, the REFS Online main index screen reveals just 5 columns of data. This is to keep download time to a minimum. Altogether, there are nearly 40 columns of data available in REFS Online. If you wish to see the full range, click in the ‘View’ box to reveal the drop-down menu of column Views available, and select ‘All Columns’ - second on the list. Remember, however, that the size - and download time - of each page will increase in direct proportion to the number of columns displayed.

Note: you can very easily create your own selections of columns to add to this list.

Visually see how to more columns of data

Find a company

Click once in the Find box, then key in the first few letters of the company name (note: the fewer the better - two or three are usually enough) and press Return.

To see the REFS page, click once on the RP button. When the REFS page appears, you can print off a copy by clicking on the Print icon above the top left-hand corner.

To see the latest share price, 15 minutes delayed, and prices during the day at half-hourly intervals, click once on the SW button.

Note: to reset the Find facility and return to the REFS Online main index screen, you should delete all text from the Find box, then press Return.

Visually see how to find a company

Display a standard REFS table

Simply choose a standard REFS table from the drop-down list, and then select the required market Index.

For example, if you wish to see the current table of Highest 1 Month Relative Strength stocks from the SmallCap Index, click in the Table box to reveal the drop-down list, and select Highest I Month Relative Strength.

Then click in the Index box and choose SmallCap from the drop-down list.
Note: to reverse the process and return to the REFS Online main index screen, click in the Index box and select All Companies, then click in the Table box and choose A to Z.

Visually see how to display a standard REFS table

Choose a sector

Click once in the Sector box to reveal the drop-down list of sectors, and then select the one you require.

Note: to reverse the process and return to the REFS Online main index screen, click in the Sector box and select All Sectors.

Visually see how to choose a sector

Choose an index

Click once in the Index box to reveal the drop-down list of market indices, and then select the one you require.

Note: to reverse the process and return to the REFS Online main index screen, click in the Index box and select A to Z.

Visually see how to choose an index

Choose a combination of selection criteria

The four selection functions in REFS Online can be used together, namely Table, Sector, Index and Find.

For example, you may wish to see which stocks in the Beverages sector also belong to the FTSE 100 index. Click once in the Sector box to reveal the drop-down list of sectors, and select Beverages. Then click once in the Index box to reveal the drop-down list of market indices, and select FTSE 100.

Note: to reverse the process and return to the REFS Online main index screen, click in the Sector box and select All Sectors, then click in the Index box and select A to Z.

Visually see how to choose a combination of selection criteria

Define a set of search parameters – Table Setup (Step 1)

The first step is to create a new ‘table’.

Click the Setup Tables button to take you to the Setup screen, then click New. Type in a name appropriate to the search you wish to create, and click Accept.

Visually see how to define a set of search parameters – Table Setup (Step 1)

Define a set of search parameters – Table Setup (Step 2)

The second step is to key in your chosen parameters.

For example, say you wish to identify stocks with a market capitalisation of under £500m, and a dividend yield of more than 5%.

Drop-down lists are revealed with a click on the downward-pointing arrows.

For the first parameter, select Market Capitalisation as the Field Name, and < (meaning ‘less than’) as the Logic operand. Next key in 500 as the Value.
For the second parameter, select Dividend Yield as the Field Name, and > (meaning ‘greater than’) as the Logic operand, with 5 as the Value.

Note: key in numerals only within the Value box, and use the same units of size as the REFS page – e.g. 500 for ‘£500m’ and ‘5’ for 5%.

Visually see how to define a set of search parameters – Table Setup (Step 2)

Define a set of search parameters – Table Setup (Step 3)

Next, choose the column to specify for the listing order, whether to order upward or downward, and the columns you wish to display. The default settings will give you alphabetical order and show all columns.

For example, you wish to show your table in descending order of 1 month relative strength, using the columns appearing in the REFS table of Highest Dividend Yields. Go to the ‘Order By’ box and choose ‘1 Month Relative Strength’ from the drop-down list, then remove the tick against ‘Order Ascending’ by clicking on it. Go to ‘View to Use’ and choose ‘Highest Dividends Column View’. Then click the Save button and lastly the Quit button. This will return you to the REFS Online main index screen.

Visually see how to define a set of search parameters – Table Setup (Step 3)

Define a set of search parameters – Table Setup (Step 4)

To display a table you have created, click on the Table box to reveal the drop-down list, and scroll to the end. All your current tables are appended to the list of standard REFS tables, and can be selected at will.

Visually see how to define a set of search parameters – Table Setup (Step 4)

Define a selection of columns – View Setup (Step 1)

The first step is to create a new ‘view’.

Click the Setup Views button to take you to the Setup screen, then click New. Type in a name appropriate to the ‘view’ of columns you wish to create, and click Accept.

Visually see how to define a selection of columns – View Setup (Step 1)

Define a selection of columns – View Setup (Step 2)

The second step is to select your chosen columns. Tick the columns you require by clicking on the empty boxes. To remove a tick you don’t require, just click on it.

Then click the Save button, and lastly the Quit button to return to the REFS Online main index screen.

Visually see how to define a selection of columns – View Setup (Step 2)

Define a selection of columns – View Setup (Step 3)

To display a view you have created, click on the View box to reveal the drop-down list, and scroll to the end. All your current views are appended to the list of standard REFS column views, and can be selected at will.

Visually see how to define a selection of columns – View Setup (Step 3)

Combine your own search parameters and column selection

Click the Setup Tables button to take you to the Setup screen. If you have more than one current table, choose the one you want from the ‘Table Name’ drop-down list. Then go to ‘View to Use’ and scroll down the drop-down list. All your current views are appended to the list of standard REFS column views. Select the view you want, then click the Save button and lastly the Quit button. This will return you to the REFS Online main index screen.

To display the table you have just modified, click on the Table box to reveal the drop-down list, and select the required table.

Visually see how to combine your own search parameters and column selection