The Journal
Blog
Market insights and trading education from the Alpha Sentinel team.
Sharpe Ratio Explained: Measuring Return Against Risk
The Sharpe ratio compares return with the volatility behind it. Learn the formula, how to read the number and where the measure can mislead you.
Corporate Spin-Offs Explained: What Shareholders Receive
What shareholders receive in a corporate spin-off, why the parent price drops, how cost basis is split, and how to review each holding.
How Mergers Affect Shareholders of Both Companies
How a merger affects shareholders of the target and the acquirer: cash versus stock deals, premiums, approvals, and tax questions to raise.
Gold in a Portfolio: Arguments For and Against
A balanced look at gold in a portfolio: the case for it, the case against, how to hold it, and how to size it before you buy.
Why Tired Decisions Are Worse Decisions: Investing After a Long Shift
Fatigue narrows judgment and invites impulsive choices. Five habits help you keep investing decisions out of your most tired hours.
Why Stock Prices Move: Supply, Demand and News in Plain English
A plain-English look at why stock prices move, how supply, demand and expectations interact, and what to ask when a move surprises you.
Rental Property or Stocks? How to Think About Real Estate in Your Portfolio
Rental property and stocks differ in liquidity, workload and concentration. Here are the questions to ask before you choose between them.
Your First Attending Paycheck: A Sequence for Allocating a Big Pay Jump
A first attending paycheck brings competing claims. Here is a fixed order of stages for reserves, debt, tax-advantaged accounts and investing.
Understanding Vesting Schedules: Cliffs, Graded and Performance Vesting
Cliff, graded and performance vesting each decide when equity becomes yours. See how they differ and what to check in your plan.
Deferred Compensation Plans: How to Think About the Trade-Offs
Deferred compensation postpones pay and tax but adds credit and timing risk. Walk through the trade-offs before the enrollment window closes.
Practice Ownership as an Asset: Accounting for It in Your Overall Portfolio
Your practice may be your largest asset. A six-stage framework for counting it, mapping overlapping risks and planning around it.
Why Savings Rate Matters More Than Returns Early in Your Career
Early in a career, how much you save usually matters more than the return you earn. Here is why a savings habit comes before chasing performance.