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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 148Market basics 15Trading and market structure 16Reading financial statements 15Ratios and business quality 15Valuation 15Advanced valuation and methods 15Technical analysis 15Portfolio, risk and behaviour 15Economy, sectors and the calendar 22Commodities 1Forex 2Hedge funds 2
Hedge funds · 33 min read 15 Biggest Hedge Funds in the USA (2026): AUM, Strategies, Track Records Who runs the biggest hedge funds in America, how big they really are, how they make money, and what ordinary investors c... Commodities · 22 min read OPEC Explained: Members, Quotas and How OPEC+ Moves Oil Prices What OPEC and OPEC+ are, who is in each group in October 2026 after the UAE's exit, how quotas and spare capacity work,... Hedge funds · 23 min read What Is a Hedge Fund? How They Work, Fees, Strategies, Who Can Invest A hedge fund is a private investment fund open only to qualified investors. This guide explains how hedge funds work, wh... Forex · 22 min read What Is a Pip? Pip Value, Lot Sizes, Spreads and Leverage Explained A pip is the standard unit of price in forex: 0.0001 for most pairs, 0.01 for yen pairs. See pip value, lot sizes, sprea... Trading and market structure · 21 min read How to Read the COT Report: Commercials, Speculators and Net Positions What the CFTC's weekly Commitments of Traders report shows, who the commercial, non-commercial and managed money groups... Forex · 22 min read Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) and the Big Mac Index Explained What purchasing power parity means, why exchange rates stray from it, how the World Bank measures it and how The Economi... 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 stock market 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...

Educational only, not financial advice.