Seeking Alpha is becoming a joke

As someone who works in the equity space, seeking alpha is one of the finance sites that I frequent. The good thing about it is that it covers a wide variety of topics, ranging from macro to long-short ideas. However, it's become increasingly clear that seeking alpha has become saturated with too many writers, the vast majority of whom, have questionable credentials and write mediocre articles. There are a few authors who stand out for their sharp analysis, but aside from them, I feel like the site has really gone downhill.

Interested to hear others' thoughts on this.

33 Comments
 
Best Response

I really like how seekingalpha is moving the democratization of investing/trading forward, yet i use it with a few 'rules'.

  1. If i'm using the site for different viewpoints on an idea , i'm gonna look at as many long/short theses that i can.
  2. i try to at least look at some of the poster's previous calls and establish wether they are historically credible.
  3. short/unquantified theses are ignored, i don't need hunches.

i find seekingalpha is a helpful starting place to build your own thesis on an idea, but to pull the trigger based on some guy's opinion that you might like is just foolish. I also agree that the quality of the average poster has diminished, but there are some poster's that are far more intelligent and experienced than myself. i'll keep using the site until that's no longer true.

 

Not sure about the other information, but it has always been a joke for my sector. The individual contributors are wrong about 65% of the time, even these "small independent research shops" write misinformed blogs/reports. Straight up wrong facts and information and/or an incomplete understanding of the discussed company and its respective industry.

Under my tutelage, you will grow from boys to men. From men into gladiators. And from gladiators into SWANSONS.
 
FlakeNot sure about the other information, but it has always been a joke for my sector. The individual contributors are wrong about 65% of the time, even these "small independent research shops" write misinformed blogs/reports. Straight up wrong facts and information and/or an incomplete understanding of the discussed company and its respective industry.

I'm assuming you're in sell-side research? i appreciate your honesty with how SA is regarded. While i won't disagree with you, i will counter that sell-side research can be a joke and make dismal calls...even if their analysis is 'spot on'.

i guess it depends on the shop and the analyst.

 
Aggmonkey
FlakeNot sure about the other information, but it has always been a joke for my sector. The individual contributors are wrong about 65% of the time, even these "small independent research shops" write misinformed blogs/reports. Straight up wrong facts and information and/or an incomplete understanding of the discussed company and its respective industry.

I'm assuming you're in sell-side research? i appreciate your honesty with how SA is regarded. While i won't disagree with you, i will counter that sell-side research can be a joke and make dismal calls...even if their analysis is 'spot on'.

i guess it depends on the shop and the analyst.

Not talking about calls or analysis. I'm talking about wrong factual information (as in saying 2+2=5), nothing to do with views, opinions, estimates, or recommendations.

Under my tutelage, you will grow from boys to men. From men into gladiators. And from gladiators into SWANSONS.
 

i've been recruiting some stock authors to syndicate content on wso - please let me know of any specific authors you guys like and I will contact them - thanks (ps thanks Mistabooks I will try contacting Michael Filloon - he looks like a quality writer on s-alpha)

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AndyLouisi've been recruiting some stock authors to syndicate content on wso - please let me know of any specific authors you guys like and I will contact them - thanks (ps thanks Mistabooks I will try contacting Michael Filloon - he looks like a quality writer on s-alpha)

No prob. Rocco Pendola is another author that frequently writes on SA. While I don't follow him as closely as I do MF, I used to. I actually don't follow Rocco at all anymore. I used to follow his articles about shorting RIMM and thought he did a great job analyzing the story from both sides - also made a pretty penny in the process :)

 
MistaBooks
AndyLouisi've been recruiting some stock authors to syndicate content on wso - please let me know of any specific authors you guys like and I will contact them - thanks (ps thanks Mistabooks I will try contacting Michael Filloon - he looks like a quality writer on s-alpha)

No prob. Rocco Pendola is another author that frequently writes on SA. While I don't follow him as closely as I do MF, I used to. I actually don't follow Rocco at all anymore. I used to follow his articles about shorting RIMM and thought he did a great job analyzing the story from both sides - also made a pretty penny in the process :)

I follow Rocco as well. I like his articles on options.
My name is Nicky, but you can call me Dre.
 

I'm sure they're not deliberate.

Under my tutelage, you will grow from boys to men. From men into gladiators. And from gladiators into SWANSONS.
 
Gray FoxThe homeless guy that hangs out at the 5/53rd Metro Stop (E/M lines) told me last week that "Europe is failing because of what they did in Africa" and "Wo-men will take all of your money." As far as I am concerned, he is a better source of financial advice than Seeking Alpha.

Hah

Under my tutelage, you will grow from boys to men. From men into gladiators. And from gladiators into SWANSONS.
 

Well they are trying to monetize it. And the comments from readers have always been much better than the articles, although the articles are valuable for a quick synopsis. I am sick of all the dividend growth investing and FAST graph garbage though. Also some of the research subscriptions are hilariously overpriced. Despite all of it, I still think its an incredibly valuable resource and provides a broader perspective than just reading sell side research that tends to focus on the stuff management brings up.

 
"giantdad"

Take a crack at value investors club instead.

I've heard mixed things about it. I mean I have a friend who works in a deep value L/S who thinks almost everything is crap whereas another friend of mine who is at a long only shop finds it to be a gold mine with lots to learn in each idea.

personally I think some articles are very insightful and well written (I did and am still learning a lot) but they tend to lose track of the general market sentiment and/or broader economic picture which drive a significant part of the risk/return profile even in excellent idiosyncratic plays

what are your thoughts?

 

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