How to Use Stock Trader Simulator (Step-by-Step Guide)

This tutorial walks you through how to use the main features of Stock Trader Simulator — including entering ticker symbols, choosing your analysis dates, placing simulated trades, and reviewing your trading performance.

Overview

In this guide, you’ll learn how to use the three main sections of Stock Trader Simulator:

Stock Sheet – Enter ticker symbols and date ranges to load historical market data.
Invest Sheet – Place simulated trades by utilizing Buy, Sell, Short, and Cover.
Analytics Sheet – View overall results and performance metrics from your trading session.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Start on the Stock Sheet. Enter your ticker symbol, then select your Start Date and End Date. Once entered, the program will automatically load the historical data for analysis.
Switch to the Invest Sheet. This is where you will place simulated trades. You can:
- Buy shares
- Sell shares
- Short the stock
- Cover short positions
Review the analytics. Once your simulated trades are complete, go to the Analytics Sheet to view:
- Total profit or loss
- Trade history
- Performance summary
- Key trading metrics
Use the simulator to test different strategies. Try different ticker symbols, date ranges, and trade decisions to see how they would have performed over time.

Pro Tips

Choose longer date ranges on the Stock Sheet to analyze larger market trends.
Use small position sizes to practice safely before simulating more aggressive strategies.
Spend time studying the Analytics Sheet — it reveals patterns, mistakes, and opportunities.

Video Transcript

The following is the full narration from the video above:

Welcome to Stock Trader Simulator. In this tutorial, we’ll walk through how to use the simulator. You’ll learn how to enter your ticker symbol, choose your date ranges, and load historical market data. Then we’ll move over to the invest sheet where you can place simulated trades — including buying, selling, shorting, and covering. Finally, you’ll see how to use the analytics sheet to evaluate your performance.

Let’s begin with the Stock Sheet. Start by typing in the ticker symbol you want to analyze. Then choose your start and end dates. Once you’ve entered this information, the system will automatically load all the historical data for that period.

Next, move over to the Invest Sheet. Here’s where you’ll simulate your trades. You can buy shares, sell shares, short the stock, or close out your short positions. Each action updates your simulated portfolio in real time.

When you’re done trading, head to the Analytics Sheet. This page will show you your overall profit or loss, your performance metrics, and a breakdown of how your simulated strategy performed. It’s a great way to see how different decisions affect your outcome.

Thanks for watching this tutorial. Try experimenting with different stocks and date ranges to improve your understanding and sharpen your trading skills.

Need Help?

If you run into any issues, please visit our Contact Page and we’ll be happy to help.