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Economy, sectors and the calendar

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 154Market 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 2Forex 5Hedge funds 3Rates and macro 1
Economy, sectors and the calendar5 min read Inflation and stocks See how inflation reaches stock prices through company costs, pricing power and interest rates, and why real returns matter more than nomina... Read the article → Economy, sectors and the calendar5 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 expectations often matter more... Read the article → Economy, sectors and the calendar5 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 warning signal and not... Read the article → Economy, sectors and the calendar5 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 matter more than the h... Read the article → Economy, sectors and the calendar4 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 quadrant, sector outlook... Read the article → Economy, sectors and the calendar5 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 why comparing within... Read the article → Economy, sectors and the calendar5 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 sector, and what ris... Read the article → Economy, sectors and the calendar5 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, and what risks to co... Read the article →
Economy, sectors and the calendar5 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 metrics matter in the... Read the article → Economy, sectors and the calendar4 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 cyclical, and which metric... Read the article → Economy, sectors and the calendar5 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, and which metrics an... Read the article → Economy, sectors and the calendar5 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 metrics matter in a... Read the article → Economy, sectors and the calendar5 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, margins and cycle s... Read the article → Economy, sectors and the calendar5 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 results, and which met... Read the article → Economy, sectors and the calendar5 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 to check before judgi... Read the article → Economy, sectors and the calendar5 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 judging real estate st... Read the article → Economy, sectors and the calendar5 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 business model within this... Read the article → Economy, sectors and the calendar5 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 good report or rise a... Read the article → Economy, sectors and the calendar5 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 inputs to weigh rather... Read the article → Economy, sectors and the calendar6 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 sales, plus the limits... Read the article → Economy, sectors and the calendar5 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, losses, wash sales an... Read the article → Economy, sectors and the calendar6 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, and how withdrawals a... Read the article →

Educational only, not financial advice.