As the name suggests, this panel shows the instruments contained within a selected Portfolio (the one you selected from the Portfolios Panel previously). Also, this panel allows you to add, remove, or suspend instruments from the Portfolio.

1.  To add an instrument, use the field “Type here to add a new instrument” at the top of this panel. Type the instrument's ticker symbol there and press enter; the instrument will be added to the list. 

You can type anything here, either partial or complete description of an instrument. For example you can type its symbol (like AMD) or the full name (Advanced Micro Devices); a dropdown menu will then appear letting you choose the exact instrument that you want. If you're confident the symbol you entered is correct, simply press enter without selecting from the dropdown menu.

This dropdown menu shows you the detail of each instrument. From left to right, each column on that dropdown is as follows:

• The first column shows the symbol of the instrument.
• The second column shows the full name of the instrument (e.g company name).
• The third column shows the period that the instrument has been actively traded.
• The fourth column shows the market/exchange that the instrument is traded.
• The fifth column shows the asset-class of the instrument (Stock, ADR, Bonds, ETF, Index, etc),
• and the sixth column shows the data source for that instrument.

Note, if you typed a non-existent instrument, such as ABBA, and pressed enter, a warning dialog will tell you it's not a valid symbol (PB may “hang” a little while processing whether it's a valid symbol).

Also, you can't add instruments to a Dynamic Portfolio. The text field shows “Dynamic portfolios can not be modified”.

Now, to remove the instrument from the Portfolio, select it and press the keyboard Delete button (a delete confirmation dialog shows up).

2.  The Symbol column on this panel shows you the symbol (ticker) for the instruments.

3.  The Description column shows the full name of those instruments.

4.  The Exchange column shows the market/exchange that the instruments are traded on.

5.  The Type column shows the asset-class of the instruments, either Stock, Bond, ADR, ETF, Index, etc.

If you don't see this column, simply drag the scrollbar at the bottom of this panel. Or drag the right-edge of the panel to enlarge it.

6.  The Delisted column shows whether an instrument has been delisted (in the form of a checkmark). 

You can also tell if an instrument is delisted by its gray inactive appearance on this list. For example a company that went bankrupt (or acquired by another company) will have its symbol delisted; in short, the instrument is no longer traded. 

7.  The First Date column shows the first date that the price data became available. Usually, that also means the date an instrument was first traded on an exchange. 

8.  The Latest Date column shows the date of the latest price data. Usually, if the date is far off in the past, it means the instrument has been delisted thus no new price data will be downloaded. 

Keep in mind that price data won't be available during weekends and holidays (non-trading days), so this date may be off by a few days. If you're trading on a foreign exchange, their holidays may be different than yours.

9.  Date Added: If you've been using this Portfolio for some time and then add a new instrument, it's best to use this parameter to assign the date you added that instrument. That way, no Positions will be entered before that date, and your backtest result will be more accurate. 

To do so, click on the little “Calendar” icon  . A calendar dialog pops up where you can enter the date. This feature can also be used to mark an instrument to be added later (let's say it's going public next week).

Note, to remove the date, simply select (block) the date text and press Delete on your keyboard.

10.  Date Removed: If you've been using this Portfolio for some time and then decided to discard a certain instrument, it's best to mark that instrument with this “Date Removed” parameter. That way, PB will no longer enter its Positions, starting from that date. 

You must not remove that instrument from the Portfolio, as it will affect the backtest result and the accuracy of your strategy. This parameter can also be used to mark an instrument that you want to discard at a later time.

11.  The Data Source column shows where the price data is sourced from. It may show Csi (Commodity Systems Inc.) or Yahoo.

12.  The Suspended checkmark: If you have insider's information that an instrument will no longer be traded on the exchanges (company bankruptcy, acquisition, etc.) you can mark it as “Suspended” instead of deleting it from the list. 

That way, PB will no longer enter Positions for that instrument, and your backtest will stay accurate (because the instrument's price history is kept).

Ideally, you don't even need to mark an instrument as “Suspended”, because eventually it will be marked as “Delisted” by the exchanges (see the “Delisted” column above). But being marked as “Delisted” takes time, as all the bureaucratic works need to be finished. So instead of waiting, you can mark it as “Suspended”.

Note, when you mark “Suspended” an instrument, it is suspended in all Portfolios where it resides. If you don't want this to happen, use the “Date Removed” function previously explained.

13.  Show Delisted Instruments: This toggle is located at the top-right corner of the panel. Toggling it ON lets delisted instruments be shown in the instrument list (along with non-delisted instruments).

As you remember, delisted instruments are those with the “Delisted” checkmark ticked (and their appearance grayed out). Toggling it OFF shows only the instruments still actively traded in the exchanges. This is just visual aid, as the delisted instruments are still part of the Portfolio.

14.  Show Errors Only: This toggle is located at the top of the panel, and is only visible if a selected Portfolio contains error. Toggling this ON will only list the instrument that contains error. 

Such instrument also has its name marked by a red circle; if you hover your mouse over it, the error detail shows up. Such error may happen if the price data are unavailable from CSI and Yahoo, or if the “Date Added” and “Date Removed” don't make sense.

Now, to show all the instruments again, simply press the same toggle.

15.  The Trashbin button lets you remove the instrument from the Portfolio. 

Usually you want to do this when you're still constructing the Portfolio. But if the Portfolio has been used for some time, it's best to remove an instrument with the “Date Removed” parameter explained earlier, so your backtest will stay accurate.

You can also delete an instrument by selecting it and press the keyboard Delete button.

Notes:

• Dynamic Portfolios can't be manipulated, either adding or removing their instruments, or customizing the “Date Added” and “Date Removed” parameters. But you can still mark their instruments as “Suspended”, just in case you know they'll be delisted in the near future.

• Even if an instrument is not used in any strategy, clicking it here will automatically download the price data.

• The instrument list can be sorted. Simply click a column's header to sort based on that column (only the “Symbol” column can't sort the list):

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