When you hear that "AT&T
The stock market has recently switched from fractions to decimals, though, so if you see "86.97," know that that just means $86.97. The decimals still reflect prices per share in dollars.
Another way to think of a price move is to consider how much total market value the company has gained or lost with each move. Find out the number of shares outstanding the company has. (Do this via online stock research tools, your newspaper, or the firm's financial statements.) Multiply the number of shares outstanding by the current share price, and you'll get the company's "market capitalization." If OUCHH has 200 million shares outstanding and is trading at $40 per share, its market cap is $8 billion. If its share price drops by $2 per share, the company has lost $400 million in market value.
You can learn more about how to interpret financial statements in our "Crack the Code: Read Financial Statements Like a Pro" How-to Guide. Give it a whirl -- what do you have to lose, except your fear of financial statements?