Google Finance provides a readily accessible platform for tracking and analyzing Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) listed companies. While not a replacement for dedicated professional financial data terminals, it offers a valuable free resource for individual investors, students, and those with a casual interest in the Australian market. To access ASX information on Google Finance, a user simply searches for the company’s ticker symbol or its name. For example, searching “CBA” will typically lead to the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA.AX) page. This page offers a snapshot of the company’s performance. Key data points presented on the page usually include the current share price, daily trading range (high and low), open price, previous close, market capitalization, price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, earnings per share (EPS), and dividend yield. These metrics give a quick overview of the company’s financial health and market valuation. A visual representation of the stock’s price history is provided through interactive charts. Users can select different timeframes, ranging from intraday data to several years, allowing them to observe price trends and volatility. Technical analysis tools are somewhat limited compared to specialized charting platforms but still offer basic functionalities. News related to the specific ASX-listed company is aggregated from various sources, providing users with a feed of relevant articles, press releases, and announcements. This aggregation helps to keep investors informed about company-specific developments and broader market news impacting the stock. Beyond individual company pages, Google Finance allows users to create and manage watchlists, enabling them to track the performance of a portfolio of ASX-listed stocks. This feature helps in monitoring investment performance and identifying potential trading opportunities. However, it’s crucial to acknowledge the limitations of Google Finance. The data is often delayed (typically by 15-20 minutes), making it unsuitable for high-frequency trading or strategies relying on real-time information. The depth of fundamental data is also less extensive than that offered by paid financial data providers. Information such as detailed financial statements or analyst ratings is often not readily available. Furthermore, Google Finance’s reliability can sometimes be questionable, with occasional data inaccuracies or outages. While generally reliable for broad market tracking, it should not be the sole source of information for critical investment decisions. In summary, Google Finance is a convenient and free tool for accessing basic information about ASX-listed companies. It’s useful for preliminary research, tracking price movements, and staying informed about market news. However, investors should be aware of its limitations, particularly regarding data delays and the depth of available information, and supplement their research with more comprehensive sources before making investment decisions. Always verify information from multiple reputable sources before acting on it.