How should I read WSJ?????????

Hi, I'm a freshman thus know practically nothing about what wsj talks about.

But I know keeping up with these stuff is very important, so

could you guys give me some advice on where to start with this awesome website?

Thanks guys

 

I am sure at school, professors would be bring up WSJ when they find articles relevant to what is being taught in class. If you don't know just look up online, ask people at your investment club and listen to news commentary to get a sense of what is going on the market.

The point of reading the news is not to memorize what is happening in the world but to get a sense of how events are related and whether you can make sense of how these events impact daily business decisions. Just take your time and give it a try.

Personally, I think that http://www.economist.com/ does a better job of analyzing issues and it is a weekly publication. As long as you are curious about what is happening around you, you will eventually catch up.

"I am the hero of the story. I don't need to be saved."
 

Shut the fuck up Il Cavaliere.

If your dreams don't scare you, then they are not big enough. "There are two types of people in this world: People who say they pee in the shower, and dirty fucking liars."-Louis C.K.
 

http://www.amazon.com/Irwin-Guide-Using-Street-Journal/dp/0071416641/re…

I use this book as a reference of where to find things in the journal. For those who claim you (in general) are an idiot if you can't read a newspaper.. well, there is a hell of a lot more to the WSJ than simply picking it up and reading it. Different data/reports come out at specific times (for example, "x economic/market report" released on third Tuesday of every month). This book tells you how to find that stuff. As for general news articles, there is obviously no guide to that. Ignore Cavaliere's remarks - he has no idea what he is talking about.

As sxh noted above, though, the Economist is much better than the WSJ at analyzing serious issues. But for getting specific data, the WSJ is great and that would will definitely help you out.

 

When IB analysts and traders say that they have the entire WSJ read by the time the markets open, do they literally mean every page or are they just knit-picking what is relevant to their industries? I'm just trying to get a feel for how much of the WSJ analysts and traders pay attention to on a daily basis.

 
wolverine19x89:
Shut the fuck up Il Cavaliere.

Watch this (the guy, michael price, talks about how to read newspapers somewhere in there, cant remember where)

http://merlin.gsb.columbia.edu:8080/ramgen/video1/greenwald/Greenwald_B…

And read this

http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/the-hedge-fund-experience-good-ba…

“...all truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.” - Schopenhauer
 

i keep cnbc on in the background while in my room, listening to some of the chatter you can get a better understanding of the issues

also read blogs like dealbreaker and you will begin to appreciate some industry humor (also, their opening bell & write offs sum up news for the day)

 
nontargethustle:
i keep cnbc on in the background while in my room, listening to some of the chatter you can get a better understanding of the issues

also read blogs like dealbreaker and you will begin to appreciate some industry humor (also, their opening bell & write offs sum up news for the day)

I keep my mini-bloomberg on at work one screen and http://finviz.com/news.ashx, http://www.alphathrottle.co.cc/, and another one on FactSet terminal. :-)

"I am the hero of the story. I don't need to be saved."
 

Start with reading a few articles on Investopedia.com to get up to speed with the concepts. The WSO dictionary is also great in that regard: http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/wso-finance-dictionary

The Economist often goes off on a complete tangential into politics, science and technology. Stick to the WSJ and Financial Times, with the latter having a more global emphasis.

 

When IB analysts and traders say that they have the entire WSJ read by the time the markets open, do they literally mean every page or are they just knit-picking what is relevant to their industries? I'm just trying to get a feel for how much of the WSJ analysts and traders pay attention to on a daily basis.

 

My advice would be to really try to understand shit you read. I used to have this horrible habit of skimming through articles and not really understanding or retaining anything. What the hell is the point of that? When you read an article and come across something you don't understand (eg. some term, important organization, idea), google it and learn what it is. As your knowledge base expands, things will start to "click".

 

Hey first of all sorry, for the borderline inappropriate remark. It wasn't really aimed at andybody, I just got really pissed cause my favorite team (Milan) had lost against Barca lol So let's see if I can still be a little useful. Still, I think it is somewhat of an odd question. The WSJ is not a terribly complex paper...it's written mostly by people with journalism (instead of business or economics) degrees. Basically I think a good way is to start with Heard on the Street. If you are just looking for banking relevant news, skip the main section, which is mainly about politics, and go straight to Money & Investing and after that Marketplace. Personally I prefer the Financial Times too, especially because their Lex column (like Heard, just better) is great.

The Economist is mainly politics, but their Finance & Economics section is really top notch (very academic). I also like Barron's magazine, which is also a weekly. It's mainly about stock picks and about how to play the markets. It's definitely more technical than anything else out there and great if you want to break into a sales & trading position.

CFA
 
Il Cavaliere:
Hey first of all sorry, for the borderline inappropriate remark. It wasn't really aimed at andybody, I just got really pissed cause my favorite team (Milan) had lost against Barca lol

FORCA BARCA!!!!!!!!!!!!

"You stop being an asshole when it sucks to be you." -IlliniProgrammer "Your grammar made me wish I'd been aborted." -happypantsmcgee
 

This is good you are interested. First is to start reading various articles. WSJ is long and would take a long time to finish. So start off by reading a few articles. Most likely some of the words will not make sense, just google them or use Investopedia.com . Use other sites such as deal book from NYT, my personal favorite.

  • If you dont have time to read the whole paper (most people dont) then read every headline on every page. The headlines are really informative.

  • Also watch or listen to Bloomberg Tv. This is a good channel to learn 'finance' which will in return help you with WSJ.

This is a good first step. At your level I was too busy wasting time.

 

To answer your question literally:

WSJ: read the front page, everything. Skim Money & Investing. Read the editorials and the rest on your own time

Economist: gives a better high level, read this at least once a month

Skim through these things, you're just getting a pulse on the markets and the larger world. Also, keep an eye on other news sources. Despite all the chest beating of the 'masters of the universe', finance operates within the context of larger events and developments. If you understand the big picture, you'll be a step ahead of a LOT of people. For the most part, you'll learn a lot of what you need to know on the job or through training programs, and it's best to search the websites for specific issues....or just talk to people.

Get busy living
 

Read the facts before reading the editorials (If you do at all).

Read it online. Google the stuff you don't understand. As a freshman you should be reading everything cover to cover because you don't have enough pieces of the puzzle in your head yet. As time goes on you will start gravitating towards particular articles and be more on the look out for what has changed vs figuring out what is going on.

 

i read the actual paper, but only the interesting looking articles, I have huge gaps in my schedule so I have a ton of free time.

Online version I used maybe 5 times this whole year, but the upgrade was free so not a big deal.

Mostly I read all of the articles on the first page of each section, and skim thru the rest


Disclaimer: The post above has been made by someone who is not currently employed in IBD, and has not had an interview yet...

 

I read it online because sitting at your desk with a newspaper spread out looks worse than reading an article on your screen.

Sometimes I skim the small blurbs on the front page if I don't have time and read Dealbook for more info, and sometimes I pick and choose my articles. I also have the online version set up to catch any articles from specific companies/sponsors I'm interested in.

 

I agree with TireKicker. I read a few editorials every day, and between zero and two other articles each day.

That said, my job isn't very news driven and I'm mostly reading for fun/interest.

 

I read everything but the Op-Ed page, the Republican/Capitalist bias is too much even for a Right winger like me to handle. Those people will sell their own mothers for a $, it's disgusting.

 

Capitalist? Absolutely.

(But believing in the moral superiority of capitalism does NOT mean one is willing to sell his own mother for a buck. Furthermore, what are you doing on this forum if you're not a capitalist?)

Republican? More so than the NYT, certainly, but the WSJ does a pretty good job at ripping on both parties if and when they fall short of expectations. They were relentless, for instance, during the mid-term elections when it came to busting the Republican party on the ethics issue.

On the other hand, you're right--the WSJ also relentlessly busts the Republicans for failing to implement...Republican policies.

But I'm a conservative and find it heartwarming that there remain like-minded, influential people in the mainstream media. So take my opinion with a flashy disclaimer.

 

IMHO to be among the best you should read at least the first three. That way you not only know what's happening, but why, and how to best position your client(s) for future changes in the market. Things change rapidly in this business....After the rain comes sunshine and vice versa..

With a solid understanding of where the markets are going, you are better positioned to protect your clients from risks and downturns, while taking advantage of unnoticed opportunities.

In a BB interview I got a question on capital gains tax rates and how rates at that time affected his clients who were mostly CFO's. Such questions are used to test your knowledge on how tax rates affect CFO dividend and capital structure decisions- consquences of stock repurchases vs. dividend pay outs..That topic was well covered in the journal that summer, but as an undergrad studying for over 10 back to back interviews, I never had the time to just read..

If you are pressed on time you can skip the Personal Journal, and the weekend add-ons. The first flap, Money & Investing, and Market Place will expose you to very real business issues, especially the breaking-views section that comments on various deals, and general trends in the market.

The video gallery on cnbc.com is also very helpful for perspectives from the best on the street.

 

If you want to act like a professional you will subscribe but just let them pile up at the end of the desk.

Seriously, if you just want to be informed, read the front page, money and investing...or the whole thing. Doesn't take long, as it's not exactly high-brow literature.

I wouldn't espouse on the stories to anyone else. Anything worth reading in that rag came out at about 5 in the morning on a professional news service. (Bloomberg obv, but lesser known ones are faster with "breaking" stuff...Street Account for example).

There are far more relevant things on bloomberg.com or the FT.

 

Totally agree with the above statement.

The WSJ has a lot of fluff in it. I personally read the money and investing section, skim the market place and flip through the front page. I am a huge fan of the financial times also. I would say try and read the economist weekly, go through the money and investing section daily and keep up to date on Bloomberg.com and you should have a good idea. Depending on what desk you get you might want to see if you can't get some newsletters, etc. Most are free for a month and you can always create a bunch of BS email addresses to keep getting them. Also, every bank will have daily market forecasts, economic updates, whatever. Usually found on the company intranet. I would ask a couple people on your desk when the market closes if they could recommend to you anything they follow.

Schork Report Gartman Letter Q Insight

I read those, always looking for others to add. Seeking Alpha is pretty good, but you need to be able to sort through the BS

 

The economist is a brilliant read every week, the wsj is overrated but the money and investing section is decent. The FT is way better. I also read and think highly of Barrons, they provide excellent insight and the most recent market data/indicators. Bloomberg.com is my favorite online news source and their iphone app is awesome. I noticed their is so much crap on SeekingAlpha that I never became a fan, most of their articles lack real any real substance.

 

I usually get the FT just because it doesn't have as much crap in it.

-------------------------------------------------------- "I do not think there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcom
 

The Wall Street Journal is really turning into just another major newspaper like the New York Times or the Washington Post, instead of the niche finance newspaper that it used to be. I still read a few things from the Journal like the Heard On The Street column and the opinion page, but really, I get most of my news from Bloomberg.com. I'd subscribe to Bloomberg's magazine as well--the Bloomberg Markets magazine and not Bloomberg BusinessWeek.

 

I think there's a lot of very legit stuff on Seeking Alpha, but also a lot of crap. It's actually very good 'training' to start reading different blogs and find what you like. Check out the authors' credentials and see how many followers they have. Look for authors who provide actual market updates, as opposed to sentiment/op-ed pieces.

Mark Chandler of Brown Brothers Harriman is top notch and puts up at least 2-3 posts a day, all very insightful. A lot of his stuff ends up on RealClearMarkets.com.

 

Money and Investing, specifically, the front page and Deals and Deal Makers (basically the first 3 pages. I would also look at the front page of Marketplace to see what new products companies are releasing.

"Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, for knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA."
 
Gekko21:
Money and Investing, specifically, the front page and Deals and Deal Makers (basically the first 3 pages. I would also look at the front page of Marketplace to see what new products companies are releasing.

Do you guys usually read the whole article or just the first couple paragraphs?

 

If your using the online version, then yes "Deals" under markets also look at the Deal Journal under Markets. Apart from that, I would glance if you can at Currencies and commodities, just because you can use those one or two articles to talk about where the market is going and factors that can affect companies---weaker dollar, look for companies with stronger emerging market exposure, ect. Most ib interviews generally ask a "where is the economy" headed question.

"Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, for knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA."
 
DurbanDiMangus:
Front page

Front page is a good place to start. Once you learn more about markets/the economy, you will notice a relationship between the physical placement of an article in the paper and the likelihood that the subject of that article is already priced into the market.

looking for that pick-me-up to power through an all-nighter?
 
macro:
Force yourself to read it cover to cover every day. A lot of shit won't make sense for a while, but eventually it will all click and you will be way ahead of your peers.

Bingo.

"Cut the burger into thirds, place it on the fries, roll one up homey..." - Epic Meal Time
 
macro:
Force yourself to read it cover to cover every day. A lot of shit won't make sense for a while, but eventually it will all click and you will be way ahead of your peers.
Definitely. My favorite part for pure markets is the quarterly funds review.
Making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art - Andy Warhol
 

I think having a basic knowledge of financial markets and economic models is key to understanding a good portion of whats in there. It's obviously better to read it cover to cover everyday than to sit on your ass and watch TV but I think the best use of your time might be to stick with front page articles and use the internet (wikipedia, WSO, whatever) to get a good foundation first.

When I was a sophmore not too many years ago reading the WSJ just frustrated me.

 
ekimlacks:
If I was a sophomore in college and wanted to start following and just learn about the market in general. Where should I start looking at in the WSJ (online)?

Just trying to build good habits. Responses are appreciated.

You should be looking at getting the student subscription to the financial times after your wsj one is over. I've read both and FT is much better.

"Have you ever tried to use a chain with 3 weak links? I have, and now I no longer own an arctic wolf." -Dwight Schrute
 

WSJ is far easier to start with though. Agreed on the cover to cover comment, make it your bitch and you'll be surprised how knowledgeable you become, you'll see how it ties into the themes of your coursework, and during networking you'll converse easier just from sheer wealth of information rather than a bunch of formulated sentences to spit at an alum after an info session.

I am permanently behind on PMs, it's not personal.
 

I read the WSJ cover to cover in my sophomore year and after a couple of weeks I really started to understand everything. By the time I started interviewing a few months later, I could speak about virtually any current event and understood a great deal about the markets. No question that landed me my internship as a soph, which led to a lateral offer as a junior. I couldn't recommend it more.

Look at it this way: a relatively small amount of work to put in for a comparably huge benefit of acing interviews and getting a job down the line. Just do it.

 

The WSJ is not great place to build knowledge of the markets. It is a great place to go to to see what is happening in the markets, but you wont understand it unless you have knowledge of how and why the markets work.

Follow the shit your fellow monkeys say @shitWSOsays Life is hard, it's even harder when you're stupid - John Wayne
 

All of it. Read the articles that you think are of particular importance to banking/coverage group/your interest in a career. Don't read articles that are essentially the same as one you read yesterday.

 

my 20 minutes on the train ride

1) skim headline news on front page left side to see if anything catches my eye. If anything, ill flip to it, if not.. 2) heard on the street 3) random stuff till i get off the train

Banking.
 

No joke, I try to skim the very bottom section part of the front page. Its that front page article that in no way ever relates to important shit. It keeps me entertained and gives me a good laugh while I am waking up. Only because it is so random. My favorite one was when Arab Spring was getting intense and the article was about the Wisconsin Cheesehead hats. Whenever you feel like you are doing something you think is stupid for work or school, think about that random section and go "Wow! I am glad I didn't have to write that, whatever I am doing now could be more pointless." It's what got me through an Italian Literature course in college.

I dont waste my time reading all of it, I more so glance at it and read a couple of paragraphs.

"Ambition and education is first and talent is second"- T.I.
 

Any of the boxes highlighted with a green border, "Heard on the Street" or "Ahead of the Tape" etc. The entire front page, and then generally as much of C as I can until I get to work.

I am permanently behind on PMs, it's not personal.
 

If your interviewing for a FICC desk and you pitch an equity, everything you say after that will be deemed irrelevant as you will be laughed at and lambasted.

Just start watching and reading. Also, throw Bloomberg and Financial Times on that. All these are generalist-type information though. Pick a sector/industry and start following trends or trade journals/magazines

 
Crack <span class=keyword_link><a href=/resources/skills/trading-investing/swap>Swap</a></span>:
If your interviewing for a FICC desk and you pitch an equity, everything you say after that will be deemed irrelevant as you will be laughed at and lambasted.

not true. Had a high-yield interview where they asked us to talk about an equity to level the analysis playing field and then asked "what do you think about the debt" and "how would you approach change." I know guys interviewing for the distressed side got similar questions but with restructuring uncertainty and asset playing a larger role in the choice than FCF considerations.

then again, high-yield clearly shares key characteristics with equity. I'm sure a treasuries or munis desk would not take this approach

 

CNBC sucks when it comes to stocks. Jim Cramer puts out 20k recommandations a year and he is a pain in the ass to watch. Same goes for Brian Sullivan, he should stop pointing at the camera for every single story that comes up. I don't like Santellis reporting style, but once in a while he is accurate on how things will impact the fixed income market. Too bad news is wasted on these terrible anchors who get to talk to alot of interesting people.

WSJ isn't as indepth as I would like and the news are sort of 'outdated' when it's printed. Check out marketwatch.com (its on wsj page) and watch out for the newsfeed at the top.

If you want to follow, let's say BEXP (In the process of being bought by STO), see how the price moves away from the buyout price of 36.50 set by STO. A quick dollar can be made in this liquid stock.

I would also start a Twitter account to subscribe to Reuters, Bloomberg and other financial news. Breaking news and you don't need to pay a single dollar for the info.

CNBC sucks "This financial crisis is worse than a divorce. I've lost all my money, but the wife is still here." - Client after getting blown up
 

I really like the twitter idea actually. I was recently thinking about making an account just to troll the Westboro idiots but now i have a legit reason to make one. I'll probably just follow that type of stuff so if you guys got any more recommendations on who to follow, let me know.

Thanks for the input guys, I'd be so fucked if it wasn't for this website haha

If your dreams don't scare you, then they are not big enough. "There are two types of people in this world: People who say they pee in the shower, and dirty fucking liars."-Louis C.K.
 

Yea....anyone who watches Cramer is not fit to actually work in the industry. The only CNBC I watch is Fast Money mon-thurs. Show has some character and a good lineup of guests. Other then that, its all Bloomberg. Plus, almost all the women on Bloomberg are dime pieces.

"I'm short your house"
 
W.Beach:
Yea....anyone who watches Cramer is not fit to actually work in the industry. The only CNBC I watch is Fast Money mon-thurs. Show has some character and a good lineup of guests. Other then that, its all Bloomberg. Plus, almost all the women on Bloomberg are dime pieces.

So true in re your comment on Cramer. Cramer is really designed for Joe Sixpack.

 

hahaha I've been trying to watch Cramer but I leave every episode feeling like I haven't learned anything

If your dreams don't scare you, then they are not big enough. "There are two types of people in this world: People who say they pee in the shower, and dirty fucking liars."-Louis C.K.
 

Cramer offers nothing more than false hopes to average retail investors. If I was to pick a point where his advice would fall when considering the castle in the air theory, it'd be right around the peak or on the nose dive down.

"I'm short your house"
 

No one watches CNBC, I think it's just a channel they use at airports and in elevators since it's mostly just flash news and nothing they talk about will really go over anyone's head (unlike bloomberg).

Watching CNBC to learn about finance would be like watching House to learn about medicine.

 
BeastMode:
CNBC is good to watch to understand the pace of the markets. Just reading WSJ/FT doesn't really give you an idea of when important indicators come out or how the market immediately reacts to those indicators. They're obviously great resources but I think CNBC is a must watch along with the WSJ/FT being must reads.

Yea....something Bloomberg does much better.

"I'm short your house"
 

I don't think CNBC gives any accurate depiction of the pace of the markets. They attempt to sensationalize any movement and are constantly looking for some big headline they can cover. When the markets aren't giving them the juice, they'll put in countless hours to scandals like Tiger Woods and then try to sprinkle in some relation to how this endorsement will affect the company (quite the stretch for hours of coverage).

They put together panels of people who have opposing views and anytime they're not at each other neck's talking over one another the broadcaster seems disappointed. It's like they're going for a Jerry Springer brawl or something.

 

CNBC = shit. WSJ = shit (ever since Murdoch took it over.) As you stated, it provides 2 points of drivel every 10 seconds in order to fill airtime hoping the quantity masks over the quality. No it doesn't.

But instead of leaving you hanging like that, I'm gonna be nice and provide a proper alternative.

Newspaper of authority: Financial Times. Bloomberg.

Macroeconomics http://macro-man.blogspot.com/ http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/ http://ftalphaville.ft.com/

Special Situations http://kiddynamitesworld.com/ http://www.distressed-debt-investing.com/ Bloomberg Real M&A (not a feed, unfortunately)

Stocks/Markets/Generalists http://www.thereformedbroker.com/ http://abnormalreturns.com/

Long/Short Ideas http://notablecalls.blogspot.com/ http://brontecapital.blogspot.com/ http://www.muddywatersresearch.com/ http://citronresearch.com/

Learn to use RSS/Twitter...preferably have it pushed to your phone. Subscribe to legit people. Get your daily fix. PM me if you need more sources.

the hunger for more
 

tight... I actually made a twitter account a little bit after I made this thread so I'll be adding financial times, already had bloomberg

If your dreams don't scare you, then they are not big enough. "There are two types of people in this world: People who say they pee in the shower, and dirty fucking liars."-Louis C.K.
 

To add to hippo's recommendations I would also highly recommend the weekly publication The Economist. Not investment/trader related specifically, but provides valuable color to international news and issues that will most certainly come in handy. Even if it doesn't, at least you'll know what's going on in the world. They also offer an audio version of the articles, which comes in handy more often than I would have imagined.

 

I actually got a subscription through a link that somebody posted here and already have em on twitter. I hope the magazine's actually show up.

If your dreams don't scare you, then they are not big enough. "There are two types of people in this world: People who say they pee in the shower, and dirty fucking liars."-Louis C.K.
 
Sean518:
read faster

What I will do. Read:

1) WSJ in the AM 2) The Economist 3) Bloomberg.com and Bloomberg Markets magazine (at night) 4) Joseph Mauldin (free newsletter)

FT too repetitive although better. Not enough time to decipher which articles I've already read in the WSJ to avoid repetition. FT not cost effective. 300 bucks a year for a euro focused paper. WSJ gives important international news without overdoing it.

 

Speaking of the WSJ, what's the cheapest way to get it?

"When I was young I thought that money was the most important thing in life; now that I am old I know that it is." - Oscar Wilde "Seriously, psychology is for those with two x chromosomes." - RagnarDanneskjold
 
UncleMilty:
Speaking of the WSJ, what's the cheapest way to get it?

I think the first year is only about 2 bucks a week forthe print version, which I would prefer. Thereafter, I believe it goes up. Check out the wsj.com website.

 
junkbondswap:
You should really invest in yourself. Sign up for a speed reading course. I increased my words read per minute from 5 words per minute to 7 words per minute (40% increase). The class only costs $695 and is broken up into 4 3 hour classes in mid-town. Now that is an ROI! Good luck.

Yeah, but is that enough to really cover the WSJ and FT in the morning, toss both in the garbage, then get to the desk in time to work? I think not. WSJ rules.

 
junkbondswap:
You should really invest in yourself. Sign up for a speed reading course. I increased my words read per minute from 5 words per minute to 7 words per minute (40% increase). The class only costs $695 and is broken up into 4 3 hour classes in mid-town. Now that is an ROI! Good luck.

7 words per minute? Ask for your money back.

"yeah, thats right" High-Five
 
junkbondswap:
You should really invest in yourself. Sign up for a speed reading course. I increased my words read per minute from 5 words per minute to 7 words per minute (40% increase). The class only costs $695 and is broken up into 4 3 hour classes in mid-town. Now that is an ROI! Good luck.

5 words per minute? Gotta be a joke post. But I am interested in speed reading or at least getting faster.

 

After reading the WSJ for years and years, I ended my subscription and have now picked up the FT. FT is so much better (especially the analysis section, the Lex). I'm addicted to this. And I never read the WSJ in this manner...FT sucks you in. They cannot get enough articles out for me to read.

Simple. Short. Direct. No bullshit. I love the FT. Easily the best newspaper around and if you compare the two, you will see the WSJ cannot match.

If you wait to be fed, you won't learn how to hunt.
 

Understand which statistics are relevant to you, and the products you want to trade. I don't know if you're in education or a profession, but knowing a little about a lot adds no value. Follow a few ones closely, look up historic prices, spreads and track that. Once you've read the figures, then go and read the news, and see if it adds up to how the markets have behaved that day. i.e. bond prices and then look at the eurozone crisis news etc.

Once you get good at it, read the numbers then try and predict what the news is, before you read it. It takes dozens of people a full day to write the content for that publication, which is meant to serve the needs of everyone in the financial sector. Saying you read the FT says you're ignorant, saying you follow the bonds + macro news actually makes sense, just as an example. research thoroughly which products are interrelated though, some have surprising connections.

T

 

When I had an FT subscription, I indiscriminately read the Lex column regardless of what was in it. There's some value to that in terms of keeping tabs on stuff that may not seem directly relevant to you at the time you're reading. As an an example, a Lex column got me convinced American Airlines would underperform the rest of the airline industry a couple years ago because of the age of their fleet. Sure enough, a year later they ordered a massive amount of planes and next thing you know they were in chapter 11. Had I any money at all at the time, I would have put some sort of L/S trade on. I'm mostly interested in macro news but I would never have thought of that if it weren't for the column.

 

The Lex column in the FT is absolute gold!!! I look forward to it every day.

You might try this book:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Reading-Understanding-Financial-Times-Boakes/dp…

I bought it for my wife (who is a nurse and wanted to understand what I was reading in the pink paper) and I found that it was a great tool even for myself (with a top MBA)

 

WSJ: front page -> Money&Investing -> the part that pertains to your job -> read the rest on the can / lunch break.

FT: skim entire thing -> stuff that pertains to your job -> rest on the ride home

Scan Bloomberg and the rest. I also scan/read the dailybeast or some other non-financial news to keep get a pulse on the broader world.

Get busy living
 

I skip WSJ entirely and go directly to MarketWatch. Much more focused than all of WSJ. Seconding Wall Street Breakfast! Also read Dealbook if you can.

Currently: future neurologist, current psychotherapist Previously: investor relations (top consulting firm), M&A consulting (Big 4), M&A banking (MM)
 

From my experience, having a solid handle on the macro picture will enable you to formulate your own opinions and views on a more focused (micro) scale, and you will have no problem holding a conversation with a trader or interviewer. You have to be passionate about the industry and not just read it to read it (if that makes any sense). Keep a solid handle on what gold, oil, euro/$, s&p, dow, and how foreign exchanges are behaving, and youll be OK.

 

I use Amazon's audiobook service called Audible and recently found out a free audio subscription to WSJ is included so I've been listening to it on the way to class. Saves time, and keeps you productive in your car.

 
Best Response

bro, don't post 3 threads about the same thing.

no more than 15 minutes for me. I get daily emails from them so I can quickly scan headlines to see what to read. I get In Today's Paper, CFO Journal, Wealth Adviser, and Grand Central. I'd say maybe 10% of the headlines in the In Today's Paper are relevant to me. Guys that say they read it cover to cover are wasting time.ask yourself does this impact what I'm doing to do today, and decide whether you're going to read it based on that. here's a few headlines from today as an example:

relevant: US Lays Groundwork for Syria Strike

noise: soldier who shot herself at Ft Lee pronounced dead

relevant: US factories keep losing ground to global rivals

noise: crowds gather for Michael Brown's funeral

make sense? almost everything in Grand Central is relevant because monetary policy meaningfully impacts global markets. however, schools in Texas allowing employees to carry guns has NO impact on my business. perhaps if I owned SWHC or RGR, but I don't.

 

@brofessor my bad! will work on my forum etiquette haha thanks for the tips, helpful as usual

I wish i could shove my dick so far up your dick that it creates a gaping vagina, because that's who you are. Just tell them that you're a ginormous douche-canoe with a gaping vagina. They'll understand.
 

no worries, just noticed another part of your post I didn't address. out if In Today's Paper, I completely ignore opinion & New York, I read some headlines, some marketplace, mostly money & investing, and occasionally I'll read some personal journal stuff. opinion is a waste of time, read the news and form your own. new york is irrelevant to me since I'm nowhere near there.

for what it's worth, I listen to bloomberg radio (via app) every morning so I'm usually up to speed on major news, I'd recommend this as well.

 

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