The Journal
Blog
Market insights and trading education from the Alpha Sentinel team.
Stagflation Explained: Why Slow Growth and High Inflation Hurt Portfolios
Stagflation pairs stalled growth with rising prices. Here is what causes it, why it strains both stocks and bonds, and how investors think about it.
Tail Risk and Black Swans: Planning for Events You Cannot Predict
Tail risk is the chance of rare, extreme losses. Learn what black swans are, why models underrate them, and how investors plan around uncertainty.
The Efficient Market Hypothesis: What It Claims and Where It Is Debated
The efficient market hypothesis says prices reflect known information. See what it claims, where it is debated, and how it shapes stock alert habits.
Cost Basis Methods: FIFO, Specific Lot and Average Cost
Cost basis methods decide which shares count as sold and how much gain you report. This guide covers FIFO, specific lot identification and average cost.
OTC Markets and Penny Stocks: Why the Rules Differ
OTC markets and penny stocks follow different rules than exchange-listed shares. See what changes in disclosure, trading and risk before you consider one.
Tracking Error: How Closely a Fund Follows Its Index
Tracking error and tracking difference explained: why an index fund trails its index, how to read the gap, and when it actually matters.
Shares Outstanding and Float: Why the Supply of Shares Matters
Shares outstanding and float both count a company's shares, but they answer different questions. Learn the gap and why it affects trading and risk.
Base Rates: Using Outside-View Statistics to Temper Your Forecasts
Base rates for investors: how the outside view tempers forecasts, how to pick a reference class, and how to adjust without fooling yourself.
How the Healthcare Sector Is Structured: Pharma, Devices and Services
Healthcare spans drug makers, device makers, payers and providers, each with its own economics. A five-stage walk through the sector's structure.
Cyclical Versus Defensive Sectors: How They Behave Across the Economic Cycle
Cyclical sectors swing with the economy while defensive ones tend to be steadier. Learn how each behaves across the cycle and why the labels are imperfect.
Seasonality in Business Results: Reading Quarters Fairly
Seasonality can make a normal quarter look like a collapse. Learn to read results year over year and with trailing twelve months to judge a quarter fairly.
Circle of Competence: Investing in What You Understand
Circle of competence explained for self-directed investors: how to test what you truly understand, spot the edge of it, and expand it with care.