Internet-based system for identification, measurement and ranking of investment portfolio management, and operation of a fund supermarket, including "best investor" managed funds

• US 20010042037A1
• Filed: 04/17/2001
• Published: 11/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marketocracy
• Original Assignee: Marketocracy
• Inventors: Horn, Bruce L., Kam, Kendrick W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,509,274 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis

Abstract

Internet-based business system and management programs therefor, and more particularly to financial investment management characterized by a unique system of attracting and identifying the Best Investors, including offering, facilitating and managing performance-based investment competitions based on model (virtual) investment portfolios, creating actual portfolios for the identified Best Investor, creating and operating actual mutual funds based on the identified Best Investors as fund managers, and providing a full suite of related subscriber and investor services associated therewith as a fund supermarket. The invention includes facilitation of daily feedback of one or more significant and appropriate financial performance metric(s), preferably the NAV (iTAV), of identified stocks and funds. Performance ranking of advice is provided so that the investor knows the track record (ranking), on an ongoing basis, of a particular advisor, thereby establishing credibility of comments. Important analytic tools are provided, including unique reports on: Overall Performance, Stratification, Volatility, Market Timing, Fundamentals, and G_S/E or G_E/S Ratio, which function as powerful decision tools for the site members, fund managers and subscribers. The top 100 Best Investors are recognized as the m100, which may be a list, a tracked index, and a Fund.

Claims

1. Method of measuring and ranking investment management performance of individual investors amongst a large universe of investors, comprising the steps of:

a) creating at least one portfolio comprising at least one financial instrument;

b) assigning to each of said individual investors at least one personal iTAV/NAV related to said portfolio at a defined starting point in time;

c) permitting said individual investors to trade said at least one financial instrument in said portfolio through a trusted independent 3^rd party;

d) tracking said personal iTAV/NAV of each said investor by the trusted 3^rd party; and

e) said trusted ₃rd party periodically reporting to said investors the performance of said investors'"'"' personal iTAV/NAV over a determined period of time.

2. A method as in

claim 1

wherein at inception of said portfolio creation said personal iTAV/NAV is assigned on a per unit value basis.

3. A method as in

claim 2

wherein said individual investor performance is based on percent change in personal iTAV/NAV per unit value over at least one determined period of time.

4. A method as in

claim 3

wherein said individual investor performance is ranked against at least one of:

a) a market, and b) other individual investors.

5. A method as in

claim 4

wherein each individual investor selects at least one financial instrument comprising said portfolio.

6. A method as in

claim 5

wherein the financial instruments are selected from a predetermined set of financial instruments.

7. A method as in

claim 1

wherein said portfolio is a model portfolio.

8. A method as in

claim 7

wherein said trades are virtual trades carried out by said trusted 3^rd party in a simulated market managed by said trusted 3^rd party

9. A method as in

claim 8

wherein said simulated market is a rules-based market.

10. A method as in

claim 9

wherein:

a) said virtual trades mirror trades of corresponding real financial instruments; and

b) said trusted third party executes said virtual trades in said virtual market at values corresponding to trades of corresponding real financial instruments reported for times substantially corresponding to the virtual trade request by said individual investor.

11. A method as in

claim 10

wherein said trusted third party reports said trades to said individual investors by electronic communication.

12. A method as in

claim 11

wherein said communications is effected via the Internet in order to enable near real-time operation.

13. A method as in

claim 12

which includes providing said individual investors with at least one virtual portfolio analytic report.

14. A method as in

claim 13

wherein said at least one report is a report on portfolio stratification, volatility, market timing, and company G_S/E or G_E/S Ratio performance.

15. A method as in

claim 14

wherein said volatility report includes individual investor portfolio ranking against at least one of:

a) at least one of a real and a virtual market, and b) other individual investors.

16. A method as in

claim 13

wherein information on at least one of said individual investor virtual portfolios is made available to other persons on at least one of:

a) free, and b) a paid subscriber basis.

17. A method as in

claim 12

wherein information comprising ranking of individual investor performance is posted on a web site, and said web site includes at least one bulletin board on which individual investors may make postings regarding the market.

18. A method as in

claim 17

wherein said bulletin board postings are sortable by at least one of:

a) author, b) the ranking of the author'"'"'s individual investor portfolios, c) identified financial instruments, and d) market sectors.

19. A method as in

claim 18

wherein, on a paid subscription basis, subscribers may access at least one of model portfolio virtual trades and bulletin board postings of other individual investors.

20. A method as in

claim 1

wherein said universe of investors comprises on the order of greater than about 1000 persons.

21. A method as in

claim 20

wherein:

a) said trusted third party is at least one of;

i) a registered investment advisor, and ii) a registered broker/dealer; and

b) at least some of said individual investor trades are real trades reported to said trusted 3^rd party as executed.

22. A method as in

claim 21

wherein said step of tracking by said trusted 3^rd party comprises processing said trades and calculating said personal iTAV/ NAV on a regular basis.

23. A method as in

claim 22

which includes electronic communications between said individual and said trusted 3^rd party.

24. A method as in

claim 23

wherein said communications is effected via the Internet in order to enable near real-time operation.

25. A method as in

claim 24

which includes providing said individual investors with at least one portfolio analytic report.

26. A method as in

claim 25

wherein said at least one report is a report on portfolio stratification, volatility, and market timing.

27. A method as in

claim 26

wherein said volatility report includes individual investor portfolio ranking against at least one of:

a) a market, and b) other individual investors.

28. A method as in

claim 1

wherein information on at least one of said portfolios is made available to other persons on at least one of:

a) free, and b) a paid subscriber basis.

29. A method as in

claim 28

wherein information comprising ranking of individual investor performance is posted on a web site, and said web site includes at least one bulletin board on which individual investors may make postings regarding the market.

30. A method as in

claim 28

wherein, on a paid subscription basis, subscribers may access at least one of model portfolio trades and bulletin board postings of other individual investors.

31. A method as in

claim 29

wherein said bulletin board postings are sortable by at least one of:

a) author, b) the ranking of the author'"'"'s individual investor portfolios, c) identified financial instruments, and d) market sectors.

32. A method as in

claim 9

wherein said individual investors may compete against other investors for ranking based on individual investor performance based on percent change in personal iTAV/NAV per unit value over at least one determined period of time.

33. A method as in

claim 32

wherein said individual investor may compete for ranking base on a plurality of model portfolios.

34. A method as in

claim 33

wherein said rankings determine best investors in at least one of:

a) a predetermined time period, b) a series of time periods, c) market sectors, and d) overall performance.

35. A method as in

claim 34

wherein prizes are awarded to a predetermined set of best investors.

36. A method as in

claim 32

wherein information on said competition is made available to other persons on at least one of:

a) free, and b) a paid subscriber basis.

37. A method as in

claim 36

wherein information comprising the ranking of individual investor performance in said competition is posted on a web site, and said web site includes at least one bulletin board on which individual investors may make postings on at least one of:

a) the market;

b) virtual trades by an individual investor, c) the competition; and

d) the rankings.

38. A method as in

claim 37

wherein said bulletin board postings are sortable by at least one of:

a) author, b) the ranking of the author'"'"'s individual investor portfolios, c) identified financial instruments, and d) market sectors.

39. A method as in

claim 37

wherein, on a paid subscription basis, subscribers may access at least one of model portfolio trades and bulletin board postings of other individual investors.

40. A method as in

claim 7

wherein said individual investor performance rankings are used to select managers for real portfolios.

41. A method as in

claim 40

wherein a registered investment company is formed for trading shares in a fund comprising real financial instruments managed by said selected manager.

42. A method as in

claim 41

wherein said reports assist individual investors to determine their relative strengths in among various investment sectors in order to focus their stock selection for a real portfolio.

43. A method as in

claim 42

wherein said trusted third party provides a mutual fund supermarket in which said individual investor can trade in funds providing the opportunity for improved overall investment performance.

44. A method as in

claim 42

wherein said trusted third party provides access to other stock brokerage firms for trading stocks, the performance of which are deemed acceptable to said individual investors.

45. A method as in

claim 44

wherein said brokerage firms pay said trusted third party at least one of:

a) click through fees and b) share of commission fees.

46. A method as in

claim 43

wherein said mutual funds pay a distribution fee to said trusted third party.

125. A method as in

claim 1

which includes providing to at least some of said individual investors communication or reporting features selected from at least one of:

a) an overall performance report;

b) a volatility report;

c) a stratification report;

d) a market timing report;

e) a G_S/E or G_E/S Ratio in table, chart or graphical format;

f) a top investment performers analysis;

g) a private discussion forum for exchange of investment ideas;

h) a Fund Barometer report;

i) reports on trades by top performing investors;

j) ranking-sortable investment ideas forum or bulletin boards;

k) investor-sortable investment ideas or comments forum or bulletin boards;

l) private portfolio tracking; and

m) a fundamentals analysis.

47. A method for building a visitor base for a financial services Internet site comprising the steps of:

a) offering to site visitors a skill-based evaluation involving managing over a preselected time period at least one rules-based virtual investment portfolio comprising at least one virtual financial instrument;

i) said virtual financial instruments are selected to mirror corresponding real instruments available in at least one real financial market;

b) qualifying site visitors who apply for virtual investor portfolios as member investors and assigning at least one unique virtual portfolio identifier to each member portfolio;

c) operating said evaluation amongst a plurality of members, including;

i) assigning to each individual member at least one iTAV/NAV related to a particular member portfolio;

ii) permitting said member to trade virtual financial instruments of said member'"'"'s virtual portfolio through said site;

iii) tracking the performance of said virtual portfolio as an analog of the performance of the corresponding real instruments in said virtual portfolio in said at least one real market;

iii) reporting to individual members the performance of each of said member'"'"'s portfolios as its iTAV/NAV at preselected time intervals;

d) posting results representing the performance of each of said member'"'"'s portfolios in said interval on at least one of a web page accessible by said member and e-mail to said member; and

e) periodically posting the comparative results of the performance of a plurality of member'"'"'s portfolios on said site for viewing by others, including at least one of visitors and members.

48. Method as in

claim 47

wherein said iTAV/NAV is assigned on a per unit value basis.

49. Method as in

claim 48

wherein said individual investor performance is based on percent change in NAV per unit value over said selected time interval.

50. Method as in

claim 48

wherein said iTAV/NAV is reported daily for each day said real financial market is open.

51. Method as in

claim 47

which includes:

a) offering at least one message board on said site for postings by at least one of said members and visitors;

b) enabling said postings to be selectively sorted for viewing.

52. Method as in

claim 51

wherein said postings include at least one relative performance ranking of selected identified members, and said selective sorting permits sorting by at least one of member and member ranking.

53. Method as in

claim 52

wherein said evaluation is operated as a competition amongst a plurality of members, and which includes identifying a preselected number of highly ranked members in a preselected time period to be best investors.

54. Method as in

claim 53

which includes the step of awarding prizes to a preselected class of highest ranked members.

55. Method as in

claim 51

which includes the steps of:

a) enabling members to subscribe to information relating to the performance of at least one of the portfolios of at least one selected other member, said subscription being selected from at least one of free, fee-based and a combination of free and fee-based access to said information.

56. Method as in

claim 55

wherein said subscribers are permitted to choose what member-related information is made accessible to the subscriber based on the ranking of the member.

57. Method as in

claim 56

wherein said subscriber accessible information includes information relating to at least one of trades and postings of the member who has been subscribed-to.

58. Method as in

claim 47

which includes providing said member with at least one portfolio analytic report.

59. Method as in

claim 58

wherein said at least one report is a report on portfolio stratification, volatility, market timing, and company G_S/E or G_E/S Ratio performance.

60. A method for identifying a best investment manager, comprising the steps of:

a) allocating to a plurality of candidate investment managers a preselected sum of funds for investment;

b) arranging for each candidate manager to invest up to the entire sum of allocated funds in at least one portfolio of at least one financial instrument selected by said candidate from among a preselected group of financial instruments, and determining a personal Net Asset Value (iTAV/NAV) for shares of each of said portfolios

c) carrying out trades of said instruments as directed by said candidate;

d) determining a fractional change in iTAV/NAV for shares in each portfolio at preselected intervals;

e) determining the ranking of performance among the portfolios based on the fractional change in iTAV/NAV for a preselected period; and

f) identifying at least one of the candidates as a best investment manager who has managed at least one portfolio which has achieved a preselected level of positive increase in iTAV/NAV in the preselected period.

61. A method as in

claim 60

, wherein at least some of the communications relating to the steps are carried out electronically.

62. A method as in

claim 61

, wherein the communications are enabled via the World Wide Web.

63. A method as in

claim 62

wherein the communications are enabled via the Internet and e-mail.

64. A method as in

claim 60

wherein the funds are virtual, the portfolio instruments are virtual analogs of real instruments, said trades are virtual trades which mirror the real market in said real instruments, and said trading period comprises at least a first round of performance evaluation.

65. A method as in

claim 64

wherein:

a) each candidate manager that has at least one portfolio having a positive fractional change in NAV for at least one of said selected periods that is larger than a preselected qualifying value is permitted to select a second sum of funds for further investment in at least a second round of competition; and

b) operating said competition for a preselected number of rounds before determining the best investors from among the manager candidates.

66. Method as in

claim 60

wherein said candidate manager performance is based on percent change in NAV per unit value over said selected time interval.

67. Method as in

claim 66

wherein said NAV is reported daily for each day said real financial market is open.

68. Method as in

claim 63

which includes:

a) offering at least one message board on an Internet site for postings by at least one of said candidate managers and site visitors;

b) facilitating the selective sorting of said postings for viewing.

69. Method as in

claim 68

wherein said postings include at least one relative performance ranking of selected identified candidate managers, and said selective sorting permits sorting by at least one of candidate manager and candidate manager ranking.

70. Method as in

claim 69

which is operated as a competition amongst a plurality of candidate managers, and which includes identifying a preselected number of highly ranked candidate managers in a preselected time period to be best investors.

71. Method as in

claim 68

which includes the steps of:

a) enabling at least one of site visitors and candidate managers to subscribe to access to information relating to the performance of at least one of the portfolios of at least one selected other candidate manager, said subscription being selected from at least one of free, fee-based and a combination of free and fee-based access to said information.

72. Method as in

claim 71

wherein said subscribers are permitted to choose what candidate manager-related information is made accessible to the subscriber based on the performance of the candidate manager.

73. Method as in

claim 72

wherein said subscriber-accessible information includes information relating to at least one of trades and postings of the candidate manager who has been subscribed-to.

74. Method as in

claim 68

which includes providing at least one of said candidate manager and said site visitor with at least one portfolio analytic report.

75. Method as in

claim 74

wherein said at least one report is a report on portfolio stratification, volatility, market timing, and company G_S/E or G_E/S Ratio performance.

76. A method as in

claim 65

wherein the funds are real money, the instruments are shares in real instruments, and the trades are carried out in the real market.

77. Method for improving the signal to noise ratio in an investment-oriented Internet discussion board on which message author members post messages related to investments and/or a market, comprising the steps of:

a) assigning at least one personal NAV to each said member author;

b) determining a performance ranking of member authors based on said personal NAV;

c) listing at least one relative performance ranking of at least selected investments of each member author in association with at least one identifier of said author;

d) enabling members to selectively sort through the posting by at least one of author and author ranking; and

e) permitting message posting by only a preselected number of members, as determined by their performance ranking.

78. A method as in 77 wherein said member author'"'"'s ranking is based on the relative percent change in personal NAV over at least one determined period of time.

79. Method for determining personal investment style, comprising the steps of:

a) selecting an investment horizon;

b) listing security returns over selected investment horizon by security;

c) sorting portfolio by the returns generated by each security over the investment horizon;

d) dividing portfolio securities into at least 3 groups by performance;

e) looking for similarities among the investments in the top and bottom groups;

f) focusing future stock picking efforts on the kinds of stocks in the top group; and

g) de-emphasizing the kinds of stocks in the bottom group.

80. Method for determining whether frequent trades of marketable securities comprising a portfolio are helping portfolio performance comprising the steps of:

a) separating said security trades into buys and sells;

b) performing on all the buys the analysis of;

i) comparing the trade price of each security at the trade date with the price of said security at a pre-selected later time;

ii) calculating the average price change for a pre-determined time period defined as the time between said trade date and said pre-selected later time;

c) repeating step b) for all sells;

d) comparing the average price change of the buys to the average price change of the sells; and

e) determining if trading over said pre-determined time period has improved portfolio return based on whether or not the buys average price change exceeds the sells average price change.

81. Method as in

claim 80

wherein said predetermined time period is at least one of 30, 60 and 90 days.

82. Method as in

claim 81

wherein said pre-determined time period is at least one of 30, 60 and 90 days.

83. Method as in

claim 80

wherein said data from steps b) and c) are presented in graphical format.

84. Method as in

claim 83

wherein said graphical format is selected from electronic data structure, a visual electronic presentation, and a hardcopy presentation.

85. Method for generating actionable and timely investment ideas, comprising the steps of:

a) creating a plurality of investment portfolios for at least some individual investor members of an Internet site, said portfolios being selected from model portfolios and real portfolios;

b) managing individual investor member trades in said portfolios through a trusted independent 3^rd party;

c) analyzing the performance of said portfolios over preselected time periods by said trusted 3^rd party;

e) periodically posting by said trusted 3^rd party performance information on a member-accessible page of said site relating to at least some of said portfolios;

f) selectively enabling site members to subscribe to access to said performance information of at least some of the portfolios of other site members; and

g) selectively permitting members to choose which member portfolio performance information they can subscribe-to.

86. Method as in

claim 86

wherein said posting includes electronic information relating to trades in the member portfolios and postings of the subscribed-to members, and said subscriber access includes selective sorting of the information based on subscriber choice from among a menu of at least one of sort modes and information types.

87. Method as in

claim 87

wherein said subscriber access to information is fee based, and subscription fee revenue is shared with the subscribed members whose information is selected by said subscribers.

88. Method as in

claim 87

wherein said information includes analytic reports on at least one of portfolios and individual company stock.

89. Method as in

claim 89

wherein said analytic reports are selected from at least one of portfolio stratification, volatility, market timing, and company G_S/E Ratio performance.

90. Method as in

claim 90

which includes delivering selected information to at least one of said subscribed members and said subscribers in at least one mode selected from electronic data structure, visual electronic presentation, and hardcopy.

91. Method for evaluating at least one company for inclusion of its stock in a portfolio, comprising the steps of:

a) selecting a multiple quarter investment horizon comprising a time period in which company performance is to be assessed;

b) collecting on at least a current quarterly basis selected financial data of said company, said financial data including sales and earnings figures in said quarter;

c) collecting corresponding sales and earnings figures from an earlier equivalent quarter such that the time between the end of the earlier quarter and the end of the current quarter is equal to said investment horizon;

d) determining the percentage changes in sales and earnings in each of said quarters to define the sales growth and earnings growth, respectively, in each of said quarters;

e) determining the ratio of earnings growth and sales growth, G_S/E or G_E/S Ratio; and

f) making selected investment decisions based at least in part on the magnitude of the G_S/E or G_E/S Ratio of said company.

92. Method as in

claim 92

which includes the added step of plotting the G_S/E or G_E/S Ratio on a graph in which at least one of the ordinate and abscissa is earnings growth and the other is sales growth.

95. Method as in

claim 92

wherein:

a) a plurality of companies G_S/E or G_E/S Ratios are evaluated; and

b) a selection for inclusion in a portfolio is made based at least in part on the relative G_S/E or G_E/S Ratio magnitude.

96. Method as in

claim 95

which includes the added step of tracking the change in size and position of the G_S/E or G_E/S Ratio bubble over time.

97. Method as in

claim 92

which includes the step of displaying said G_S/E or G_E/S Ratio as a data set, said set being selected from tabular and graphical format.

99. Method as in

claim 95

which includes the step of displaying said G_S/E or G_E/S Ratio bubble as a data set, said set being selected from tabular and graphical format.

100. Method as in

claim 97

which includes the step of dynamically displaying said G_S/E or G_E/S Ratio bubble as a data set, said set being selected from tabular and graphical format.

102. Method as in

claim 99

which includes delivering selected information from said data set in at least one mode selected from electronic data structure, visual electronic presentation, and hardcopy.

103. Method as in

claim 100

which includes delivering selected information from said data set in at least one mode selected from electronic data structure, visual electronic presentation, and hardcopy.

93. Method as in

claim 93

wherein said company stock is one of a set of company stocks comprising a portfolio, and which includes the added steps of;

a) determining the G_S/E or G_E/S Ratio of the stocks of each company in said portfolio;

b) determining the relative weight of each company'"'"'s stocks in the portfolio in proportion to the market value of its shares in the portfolio to the total value of the portfolio.

94. Method as in

claim 94

wherein the relative weight of each company'"'"'s stock in said portfolio is represented as an area on a graph, the size of said area, the G_S/E or G_E/S Ratio bubble, representing the market value of each company'"'"'s stock in said portfolio in proportion to the market value of all the securities in the portfolio.

98. Method as in

claim 94

which includes the step of displaying said G_S/E or G_E/S Ratio as a data set, said set being selected from tabular and graphical format.

101. Method as in

claim 98

which includes delivering selected information from said data set in at least one mode selected from electronic data structure, visual electronic presentation, and hardcopy.

104. Method as in

claim 101

which includes delivering selected information from said data set in at least one mode selected from electronic data structure, visual electronic presentation, and hardcopy.

105. Method for evaluating at least one profit center of a company for which sales and earnings can be ascertained to determine the relative resource allocation within said company, comprising the steps of:

a) selecting a multiple quarter investment horizon comprising a time period in which said company profit center performance is to be assessed;

b) collecting on at least a current quarterly basis selected financial data of said company profit center, said financial data including sales and earnings figures in said quarter;

c) collecting corresponding sales and earnings figures for said company profit center from an earlier equivalent quarter such that the time between the end of the earlier quarter and the end of the current quarter is equal to said investment horizon;

d) determining the percentage changes in sales and earnings in each of said quarters to define the sales growth and earnings growth, respectively, in each of said quarters;

e) determining the ratio of earnings growth and sales growth, G_S/E or G_E/S Ratio; and

f) making selected resource allocation decisions relating to said company based at least in part on the magnitude of the G_S/E or G_E/S Ratio of said company profit center.

106. Method as in

claim 106

which includes the added step of plotting the G_S/E or G_E/S Ratio on a graph in which at least one of the ordinate and abscissa is earnings growth and the other is sales growth.

111. Method as in

claim 106

which includes the step of displaying said G_S/E or G_E/S Ratio as a data set, said set being selected from tabular and graphical format.

114. Method as in

claim 111

which includes the step of dynamically displaying said G_S/E or G_E/S Ratio bubble as a data set, said set being selected from tabular and graphical format.

117. Method as in

claim 114

which includes delivering selected information from said data set in at least one mode selected from electronic data structure, visual electronic presentation, and hardcopy.

107. Method as in

claim 107

wherein said company profit center is one of a set of company profit centers, and which includes the added steps of;

a) determining the G_S/E or G_E/S Ratio of a plurality of selected profit centers in said company;

b) determining the relative weight of each selected profit center of said company in proportion the capital investment allocated to said profit center is to the capital investment in selected other profit centers in said company.

108. Method as in

claim 108

wherein the relative weight of each selected profit center capital investment is represented as an area on a graph, the size of said area, the G_S/E or G_E/S Ratio bubble, representing its percentage of the total of the selected other profit centers of said company.

109. Method as in

claim 108

wherein:

a) all of the company'"'"'s profit center G_S/E or G_E/S Ratios are evaluated; and

b) selection for change in resource allocation among the profit centers is made based at least in part on the relative G_S/E or G_E/S Ratio magnitudes of said profit centers.

110. Method as in

claim 109

which includes the added step of tracking the change in size and position of the G_S/E or G_E/S Ratio bubble over time.

112. Method as in

claim 108

which includes the step of displaying said G_S/E or G_E/S Ratio as a data set, said set being selected from tabular and graphical format.

113. Method as in

claim 109

which includes the step of displaying said G_S/E or G_E/S Ratio bubble as a data set, said set being selected from tabular and graphical format.

115. Method as in

claim 112

which includes delivering selected information from said data set in at least one mode selected from electronic data structure, visual electronic presentation, and hardcopy.

116. Method as in

claim 113

which includes delivering selected information from said data set in at least one mode selected from electronic data structure, visual electronic presentation, and hardcopy.

118. Method as in

claim 115

which includes delivering selected information from said data set in at least one mode selected from electronic data structure, visual electronic presentation, and hardcopy.

119. A displayable set of related financial performance data of at least one company profit center, comprising:

a) a time period representing a multiple quarter investment horizon in which said at least one company profit center performance is assessed;

b) a first subset of selected quarterly financial data of said company profit center, said data being selected from capital, sales and earnings figures of a current quarter;

c) a second subset of selected quarterly financial data of said company profit center, said data including capital, sales and earnings figures of a defined earlier quarter such that the time period between the end of the earlier quarter and the end of the current quarter is equal to said investment horizon;

d) percentage changes in capital, sales and earning in each of said selected quarters as determinative of capital, sales and earnings growth, respectively, in each of said quarters; and

e) the ratio of earnings growth and sales growth, G_S/E Ratio.

120. A data set as in

claim 120

which includes an address for display of said G_S/E or G_E/S Ratio selected from at least one of a tabular and a graphical address.

121. A data set as in

claim 121

wherein said data set includes data on a plurality of profit centers in at least one company;

and which data set includes;

a) an area, the G_S/E or G_E/S Ratio bubble, representing the amount of the capital invested in each profit center in proportion to the total capital invested in all of the profit centers.

122. A data set as in

claim 121

wherein said company stock is one of a set of company stocks comprising a portfolio, and which data set includes:

a) an area, the G_S/E or G_E/S Ratio bubble, representing the market value of each company'"'"'s stock in said portfolio in proportion to the market value of all the securities in the portfolio.

123. A data set as in

claim 122

which includes data representative of the changes in the G_S/E or G_E/S Ratio bubble over time.

124. A data set as in

claim 123

which includes data representative of the changes in the G_S/E or G_E/S Ratio bubble over time.