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Blog: stock research and investing, explained

Plain-English guides with worked examples: how to read financial statements, value a business, use technical indicators and manage risk. See the complete Financial knowledge series →

All 142Market basics 15Trading and market structure 15Reading financial statements 15Ratios and business quality 15Valuation 15Advanced valuation and methods 15Technical analysis 15Portfolio, risk and behaviour 15Economy, sectors and the calendar 22
Economy, sectors and the calendar · 6 min read 401(k), IRA and Roth basics for investors (US) A plain-English overview of US retirement accounts: how 401(k)s, traditional and Roth IRAs differ, when the tax comes, a... Economy, sectors and the calendar · 5 min read Capital gains and dividend tax basics for investors (US) A plain-English guide to how US taxes treat stock gains and dividends, including holding periods, qualified dividends, l... Economy, sectors and the calendar · 6 min read Insider buying and selling: what it can signal Learn who counts as an insider, how Form 4 filings work, and why open-market insider purchases usually say more than sal... Economy, sectors and the calendar · 5 min read Analyst ratings and price targets: how to read them Understand what Buy, Hold and Sell ratings and 12-month price targets mean, how analysts build them, and why they are in... Economy, sectors and the calendar · 5 min read Earnings season, guidance and why stocks jump on results Learn how quarterly earnings seasons work, what consensus estimates and guidance are, and why a stock can fall after a g... Economy, sectors and the calendar · 5 min read Communication services sector: how it makes money and what to watch See how phone carriers, internet platforms, streaming and media companies earn money, and which metrics fit each busines... Economy, sectors and the calendar · 5 min read Real estate sector and REITs: how they work and what to watch Learn how REITs earn rent, why the law requires large dividends, and why FFO and AFFO replace earnings per share when ju... Economy, sectors and the calendar · 5 min read Utilities sector: how it makes money and what to watch Learn how regulated utilities earn a return on their assets, why they carry heavy debt and pay big dividends, and what t...
Economy, sectors and the calendar · 5 min read Materials sector: how it makes money and what to watch Understand how chemicals, metals, mining, packaging and construction materials companies earn money, why prices drive re... Economy, sectors and the calendar · 5 min read Industrials sector: how it makes money and what to watch See how industrial companies earn money from machines, contracts and transport, and learn to read backlog, book-to-bill,... Economy, sectors and the calendar · 5 min read Energy sector: how it makes money and what to watch Learn how energy companies earn money from oil, gas and fuels, why their profits swing with commodity prices, and which... Economy, sectors and the calendar · 5 min read Consumer staples sector: how it makes money and what to watch Learn how food, beverage, household product and grocery companies earn money, why consumer staples is called defensive,... Economy, sectors and the calendar · 4 min read Consumer discretionary sector: how it makes money and what to watch Learn how carmakers, retailers, restaurants and homebuilders earn money, why the consumer discretionary sector is cyclic... Economy, sectors and the calendar · 5 min read Financials sector: banks, insurers and what to watch Learn how banks, insurers and asset managers earn money, why standard ratios like EV/EBITDA fit them poorly, and which m... Economy, sectors and the calendar · 5 min read Health care sector: how it makes money and what to watch Learn how drugmakers, device makers, insurers and providers earn money, which metrics matter in the health care sector,... Economy, sectors and the calendar · 5 min read Information technology sector: how it makes money and what to watch Learn how software, semiconductor and hardware companies earn money, which metrics matter in the information technology... Economy, sectors and the calendar · 5 min read The 11 GICS sectors explained Learn how the Global Industry Classification Standard groups companies into 11 sectors, what each sector contains, and w... Economy, sectors and the calendar · 4 min read Economic regimes and how to read the StocksXray Market Compass Learn how growth and inflation define four economic regimes, and how to read the Market Compass risk gauge, regime quadr... Economy, sectors and the calendar · 5 min read GDP, CPI, PMI and jobs data: the indicators that move markets Learn what GDP, CPI, PMI and the monthly jobs report measure, who publishes them, how to read them, and why surprises ma... Portfolio, risk and behaviour · 4 min read Common investing mistakes and how to avoid them Review the most common investing mistakes, from market timing and concentration to costs, leverage and overtrading, with... Economy, sectors and the calendar · 5 min read The yield curve and recession signals Understand what the Treasury yield curve shows, why an inverted curve has often preceded recessions, and why it is a war... Economy, sectors and the calendar · 5 min read Interest rates, the Federal Reserve and stock prices Learn what the Federal Reserve controls, how interest rates feed into stock valuations and earnings, and why expectation... Economy, sectors and the calendar · 5 min read Inflation and stocks See how inflation reaches stock prices through company costs, pricing power and interest rates, and why real returns mat... Portfolio, risk and behaviour · 5 min read How to research a stock in an afternoon Follow a time-boxed, three-hour routine for researching a stock: the business, the filings, the numbers, valuation, risk...

Educational only, not financial advice.