Stock trading tips · market metrics · research
The numbers on a stock page, and what to do with them
A quote page shows you twenty-odd figures in a grid. Each one has a formula, a blind spot and a way traders misread it. Start from the field that puzzles you, or from the tips that put the fields to work.
Example Corp EXMPL
47.82 +0.86 (+1.83%)
- P/E (TTM)
- 18.4
- PEG
- 1.6
- P/S
- 3.1
- P/B
- 4.2
- EV/EBITDA
- 11.8
- EPS (diluted)
- 2.61
- Oper. margin
- 17.5%
- ROE
- 21.0%
- ROIC
- 13.2%
- Debt/Eq
- 0.64
- FCF yield
- 4.6%
- Div. yield
- 2.1%
- Payout ratio
- 39%
- Beta
- 1.08
- ATR (14)
- 1.84
- RSI (14)
- 58.3
- SMA200
- +6.2%
- 52W range
- 38.10 - 52.90
- Inst. own
- 71%
- Insider own
- 3.4%
- Shs outstand
- 412M
Positions on reading the data, argued with the numbers.
Every field on a quote page, with the formula worked.
Screeners, filings and charts, one step at a time.
Buyer's guides for research tools, with a scorecard.
Trading tips
All trading tips →| Tip | Topic |
|---|---|
| Buying Near a 52-Week High Is Less Reckless Than It Feels A stock trading near its 52-week high is not automatically too late to buy; judge it on extension, news and valuation. | Charts |
| Cheap Stocks With Heavy Debt Need a Second Filter A low P/E screen should carry a second filter on debt, because P/E prices only the equity and ignores what lenders are owed. | Valuation |
| Choose Your Chart Timeframe From How Long You Will Hold Pick chart bars much shorter than your holding period and check one timeframe higher for trend, since detail you will never feel adds false signals. | Charts |
| Moving Average Crossovers Are Late by Design Moving average crossovers confirm moves that already happened, so use them to filter for trend direction and keep them out of entry timing. | Charts |
| Let the Economic Calendar Shape Your Position Size A scheduled release can gap a stock past your stop, so check the calendar before entry and size the position for the gap you could face. | Market context |
| Two ETFs Can Hold the Same Stocks, So Check the Overlap Two ETFs with different names can hold the same stocks at heavy weights, so measure the overlap before counting them as separate bets. | Market context |
| A Fair Value Estimate Is a Bundle of Someone's Assumptions A fair value estimate is a structured opinion; read the assumptions behind it before the headline number. | Valuation |
| A Green Market Heatmap Can Hide a Narrow Rally A green heatmap on a cap-weighted index can hide a day when most stocks fell, so check breadth before reading it as a strong market. | Market context |
How-to guides
All guides →| Guide | Task | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 200-Day Moving Average Chart: How to Read the Line | Charts | 10 min |
| Altman Z-Score Example: Scoring a Company From Its 10-K | Filings and earnings | 25 min |
| Analyst Research Reports: Free and Paid Ways to Get Them | Research and portfolio | 15 min |
| Charting Stocks: The Settings That Change What You See | Charts | 15 min |
| ETF Overlap: How to Check a Whole Portfolio | Research and portfolio | 30 min |
| How to Keep a Stock Watchlist You Will Actually Use | Research and portfolio | 20 min |