ShareSoc
INVESTOR ACADEMY
Data Sites & Tools
“Data sites” are the lifeblood of the private investor. “Knowledge is power” is a maxim which is especially true in the investing world. Without accurate & up to date information, you are at a disadvantage relative to other investors. We further subdivide websites that can provide you with this vital data into three subcategories:
News sites
Receiving up to date news on your investments is particularly important for the active investor. Remember Keynes‘ maxim: “When the facts change, I change my mind.”. News concerning an investment (carefully considered) can often affect the attractiveness, or otherwise, of that investment. Having prompt access to that news can allow you to act “ahead of the herd”, and obtain a more favourable price to buy or sell. When researching a potential investment, studying the news archive is important to gaining an understanding of the investment and how well management’s outlook has been reflected in subsequent events.
Analyst notes
Institutional investors have access to a vast array of “notes” (I.E. research reports) produced by analysts, generally working for stockbrokers or investment banks. These are often difficult for individual investors to obtain – an issue that ShareSoc will work to remedy. There are, however, a numbers of organisations and websites that do make such information available. Investors, however, must be aware that much of the research material is sponsored by the companies being researched. Sometimes authors or their organisations have a financial interest or relationship with the subject company. Hence, shrewd investors should treat this material with appropriate caution and consider it to be a “marketing communication” (which it is often labelled as, under FCA regulation). Nevertheless, it often contains useful information that can offer valuable background for further research.
Fundamental Data & Analysis
These sites provide a digest of key financial & other metrics, obtained from companies’ annual and interim reports. They can help you to make comparisons between the relative attractiveness of similar investments. Some of the sites offer “stock screening” capabilities, which allow you to select potential investments satisfying criteria that fit an investment strategy you select.