How do I determine the value of an old stock?

8-4-2006 | Edcoil

[edcoil]

I ran across some stock certs of my fathers that he acquired in 1983 of Litton Industries now owned by Northrop.

How do I determine the value of those stocks?

Thanks

[neverdem]

Call or look up Northrop on the Internet. Find out the terms of acquisition, i.e. how many shares of Northrop for one of Litton.

[edcoil]

I wonder how many times it has split

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Here.

http://www.ss.northropgrumman.com/press/news/00_12_21a.html

Looks like you shares are worth either $80.00 per share if common stock or $35.00 per Series B Preferred share.

[bad company]

http://www.ss.northropgrumman.com/press/news/00_12_21a.html

Northrop Grumman To Acquire Litton Industries For $80 Per Share Cash

Are you rich?

[SAJ]

Neverdem is right, of course; that's one way to do it.

Much easier, simply deposit the shares into a brokerage account. Might have to deal with a mid-level brokerage, but the discounters **may** do the work for you. Stay away from Merrill and Salomon/Citi and that bunch.

The point here is that, if the broker wants you to trade something (a notion of which you should not disabuse him/her), then he or she is going to have to find out just exactly what those shares are worth, now isn't he?

[Panzerlied]

If the shares are printed on a roll of toilet paper, they are not worth much! :>)

[NorCalRepub]

SAJ is right.....I was a stock broker for many years...just I don't know where you live...but go into any discount type broker..Charles Schwab, TD Waterhouse etc...try and stay away from the Merrill Lynch's etc....you can open an account and not pay any fees...you can put the certs in the account and can tell you if they are worth anything pretty much right away....Preferred Stock does not appreciate in value like common stock...though it should have been paying out dividends for years....to someone....you can then sell it....keep it...the preferred stock is most likely expired but if common stock...may have some value.....those guys won't steer you into doing anything stupid with it and will tell you exactly your options

[gentlestrength]

Ah, the hope of us all, that while finally cleaning out and going through our parents' things, that we just happen to notice this piece of paper...