Graphical representation of financial information

Abstract

A programmed computer either provides a link to, provides a user-viewable advertisement for, or receives a hit from an end user who has hyperlinked from, a Web site that performs a method comprising: determining, by at least one computer, which plurality of financial items in a market sector are to be included in a graphical representation thereof comprising a respective plurality of contiguous regions each having a respective area based on a respective net assets of its represented one of the financial items and each having a respective interior color based on a respective change in price of its represented one of the financial items; and providing the Web site that displays the graphical representation. Said determining comprises determining that a second financial item in the market sector is not to be included in the graphical representation based on its correlation with a first financial item being less than zero.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 providing a link to a Web site which performs a method comprising:
 determining, by at least one computer, which plurality of financial items in a market sector are to be included in a graphical representation thereof comprising a respective plurality of contiguous regions each having a respective area based on a respective net assets of its represented one of the plurality of financial items and each having a respective interior color based on a respective change in price of its represented one of the plurality of financial items, wherein the plurality of financial items comprises a first financial item, and wherein said determining comprises determining that a second financial item in the market sector is not to be included in the graphical representation based on its correlation with the first financial item being less than zero; and 
 providing the Web site that displays the graphical representation; 
   wherein said providing the link is performed by a computer programmed to perform same.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  wherein the respective area of a first region of the plurality of contiguous regions is monotonically related to the respective net assets of the first financial item. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2  wherein the first region having the respective area that is monotonically related to the respective net assets of the first financial item is user-selectable to retrieve a quote associated with the first financial item. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  wherein the method performed by the Web site further comprises initiating a transaction involving one of the plurality of financial items using the Web site. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  wherein the first financial item comprises an investment trust. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  wherein the first financial item comprises a mutual fund. 
     
     
         7 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 providing a user-viewable advertisement for a Web site which performs a method comprising:
 determining, by at least one computer, which plurality of financial items in a market sector are to be included in a graphical representation thereof comprising a respective plurality of contiguous regions each having a respective area based on a respective net assets of its represented one of the plurality of financial items and each having a respective interior color based on a respective change in price of its represented one of the plurality of financial items, wherein the plurality of financial items comprises a first financial item, and wherein said determining comprises determining that a second financial item in the market sector is not to be included in the graphical representation based on its correlation with the first financial item being less than zero; and 
 providing the Web site that displays the graphical representation; 
   wherein said providing the user-viewable advertisement is performed by a computer programmed to perform same.   
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7  wherein the respective area of a first region of the plurality of contiguous regions is monotonically related to the respective net assets of the first financial item. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8  wherein the first region having the respective area that is monotonically related to the respective net assets of the first financial item is user-selectable to retrieve a quote associated with the first financial item. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7  wherein the method performed by the Web site further comprises initiating a transaction involving one of the plurality of financial items using the Web site. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7  wherein the first financial item comprises an investment trust. 
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7  wherein the first financial item comprises a mutual fund. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7  wherein the user-viewable advertisement is communicated to an end user from an advertisement provider other than the Web site. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7  wherein the user-viewable advertisement is communicated to an end user from the Web site. 
     
     
         15 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving a hit from an end user who has hyperlinked from a Web site which performs a method comprising:
 determining, by at least one computer, which plurality of financial items in a market sector are to be included in a graphical representation thereof comprising a respective plurality of contiguous regions each having a respective area based on a respective net assets of its represented one of the plurality of financial items and each having a respective interior color based on a respective change in price of its represented one of the plurality of financial items, wherein the plurality of financial items comprises a first financial item, and wherein said determining comprises determining that a second financial item in the market sector is not to be included in the graphical representation based on its correlation with the first financial item being less than zero; and 
 providing the Web site that displays the graphical representation; 
   wherein said receiving the hit is performed by a computer programmed to perform same.   
     
     
         16 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 15  wherein the respective area of a first region of the plurality of contiguous regions is monotonically related to the respective net assets of the first financial item. 
     
     
         17 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 16  wherein the first region having the respective area that is monotonically related to the respective net assets of the first financial item is user-selectable to retrieve a quote associated with the first financial item. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 15  wherein the method performed by the Web site further comprises initiating a transaction involving one of the plurality of financial items using the Web site. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 15  wherein the first financial item comprises an investment trust. 
     
     
         20 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 15  wherein the first financial item comprises a mutual fund.