The Journal
Blog
Market insights and trading education from the Alpha Sentinel team.
What the VIX Measures and How to Read It Without Overreacting
The VIX measures expected 30-day volatility in the S&P 500, not a verdict on your portfolio. Learn what it says, and what it never can say.
Ex-Dividend Dates Explained: Who Gets the Payment and When
Ex-dividend dates explained: who qualifies for a dividend, when the price adjusts, and why timing is not free money. Follow the four dates in order.
Management's Discussion and Analysis: What to Look For in the Narrative
How to read the MD&A section of a filing: why the narrative matters, where it hides detail, and a repeatable way to test it against the numbers.
Why Pre-Market and After-Hours Prices Behave Differently From the Regular Session
Pre-market and after-hours prices can look dramatic. Here is why they behave differently, and how to read stock alerts and headlines around them.
IPO Lockup Expirations: What They Are and Why Prices Sometimes Move
IPO lockup expirations explained: what a lockup is, who it restricts, and why prices sometimes move around the date. Learn the five-step way to read one.
The Risk Factors Section of a 10-K: Boilerplate Versus Substance
How to read the Risk Factors section of a 10-K: seven ways to separate generic legal language from the disclosures that describe a specific business.
Reading a 10-Q: What Changes Between Annual Reports
A practical guide to the quarterly 10-Q: what it adds to the annual report, what it leaves out, and how to read it in about twenty minutes.
Stock Splits Explained: What Changes and What Does Not
Stock splits explained for busy investors: what a split changes, what stays the same, and how to read one without panicking. Start with the share count.
Index Rebalancing and Reconstitution: Why Stocks Move When Indexes Change
Index rebalancing and reconstitution force funds to buy and sell at set dates. See why stocks can move when an index changes and how to read the calendar.
Covered Calls Explained: Mechanics, Trade-Offs and Who Uses Them
Covered calls explained: how selling a call against shares you own works, what you give up, the assignment risk, and how premium is taxed.
Why Busy Professionals Lose Track of Their Holdings and How to Fix the Routine
Busy professionals lose track of holdings for predictable reasons. See how stock alerts and a short review routine can fit your week, then build yours.
Options Basics: Calls, Puts and Premiums in Plain English
Options basics for busy professionals: what calls, puts, strikes and premiums mean, how expiration works, and the risks to understand first.