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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 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
Reading financial statements5 min read Revenue and revenue recognition: when a sale counts Learn how companies decide when a sale becomes revenue, the five-step model behind it, and which warning signs suggest revenue is being reco... Read the article → Trading and market structure5 min read Dual-class shares: voting control and what it means for investors Learn how dual-class share structures separate voting power from ownership, why founders use them, and what to check in a proxy statement be... Read the article → Reading financial statements5 min read How to read a cash flow statement See how the cash flow statement splits cash into operating, investing and financing activities, and how to tell a healthy cash generator fro... Read the article → Trading and market structure5 min read Share buybacks explained: when they help owners and when they do not Learn how share repurchases work, why they raise earnings per share, and how to tell a buyback that creates value from one that merely offse... Read the article → Reading financial statements5 min read How to read a balance sheet: assets, liabilities and equity Understand the balance sheet's three parts, assets, liabilities and equity, and learn which lines to check for liquidity, debt load and bala... Read the article → Trading and market structure5 min read Dividends: declaration, ex-dividend, record and payment dates Learn the four dividend dates, who actually receives a payment, why the stock price drops on the ex-dividend date, and how T+1 changed the c... Read the article → Reading financial statements5 min read How to read an income statement line by line Learn what each line of an income statement means, from revenue down to earnings per share, and how to spot trends and one-time items along... Read the article → Trading and market structure5 min read Market makers and high-frequency trading Learn how market makers quote both sides of a stock, how high-frequency traders use speed, and what both mean for the prices and liquidity e... Read the article →
Trading and market structure4 min read Volatility and the VIX fear index Learn what volatility measures, how the VIX turns S&P 500 option prices into an expected 30-day swing, and what it cannot tell you about mar... Read the article → Trading and market structure4 min read Market corrections and crashes: how they differ and how they end Learn how pullbacks, corrections, bear markets and crashes are defined, how recoveries have varied, and why a 50% loss needs a 100% gain to... Read the article → Trading and market structure4 min read Bull and bear markets: definitions and what history shows Learn how bull and bear markets are usually defined, how long and how deep past US bear markets have been, and why the label only becomes cl... Read the article → Trading and market structure5 min read Futures contracts basics: what they are and who uses them Learn what a futures contract is, how margin and daily settlement work, and why hedgers and speculators both use index and commodity futures... Read the article → Trading and market structure5 min read Options basics: calls, puts and what a premium buys Learn what call and put options are, how the premium is built from intrinsic and time value, and how to work out break-even and maximum loss... Read the article → Trading and market structure4 min read Margin and leverage: how borrowing amplifies gains and losses Understand how margin accounts let you borrow to invest, how margin calls are triggered, and why leverage magnifies losses just as it magnif... Read the article → Trading and market structure5 min read Short selling explained: how it works and where it goes wrong Learn how selling borrowed shares works, why losses on a short can exceed the amount invested, and what short interest, borrow costs and squ... Read the article → Trading and market structure5 min read Trade settlement and T+1: what happens after you buy Learn the difference between trade date and settlement date, how US stock settlement moved to T+1 in 2024, and what clearing does behind the... Read the article → Trading and market structure4 min read Pre-market and after-hours trading: hours, risks and quirks See when US extended-hours trading happens, why prices can swing on thin volume, and why an after-hours move does not always carry into the... Read the article → Trading and market structure5 min read Market, limit and stop orders: choosing the right order type Compare market, limit, stop and stop-limit orders, see what each one guarantees and risks, and learn how time-in-force settings change when... Read the article → Trading and market structure8 min read Bid-ask spread explained: bid, ask, spread and liquidity Learn what the bid, the ask and the spread mean, how they measure a hidden trading cost, and why liquidity decides how easily you can enter... Read the article → Market basics5 min read Why bond prices fall when yields rise Bond prices and yields move in opposite directions. See why with a worked example, how duration measures the sensitivity, and what it means... Read the article → Market basics5 min read How bonds work: coupons, maturity and credit risk A bond is a loan you make to a government or company in return for interest and your money back at maturity. Learn the terms, the main risks... Read the article → Market basics9 min read ETF vs stock vs mutual fund: differences, costs and taxes Compare ETFs, mutual funds and individual stocks on trading, cost, taxes, diversification and control, so you can see which trade-offs each... Read the article → Market basics5 min read What is an ETF and how does it work? An exchange-traded fund holds a basket of assets and trades like a stock all day. Learn how ETFs track an index, what they cost and where th... Read the article → Market basics5 min read Stock splits and reverse splits: what changes and what does not A split changes the number of shares and the price per share, not the value of your holding. Learn how forward and reverse splits work and w... Read the article →

Educational only, not financial advice.