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Stock Market Visualization

Seeing Stocks

Turbulent storms in stock price and demand are illuminated in this Mahato-winning illustration by Ashleigh Swingler. Created using software developed by Laurens Howle, the zig-zagging line shows swings in the price of Nasdaq’s QQQ stock during January 2016: a zig to the left signals a price drop, and a zag to the right signals a price increase. Meanwhile, the vertical bars indicate orders to buy (red) and to sell (blue); each striation in color indicates an individual order. By illustrating when specific orders are added, canceled or altered, this visualization tool reveals investment strategies and market trends that might otherwise be impossible to spot.