Equities

Stock Market Foundations

20 articles in this subtopic.

Glossary: Stock Market Structure Terms

Stock market structure determines how your order gets routed, priced, and filled.

beginner 2026-04-28

Stock Market Foundations

Regulation NMS and Order Routing Basics

Understand how SEC rules govern order execution and why your broker sends orders to different trading venues.

beginner 2026-01-19

Stock Market Foundations

Corporate Investor Relations Playbook

Public companies maintain investor relations departments to control their narrative with shareholders and analysts.

intermediate 2026-01-18

Stock Market Foundations

Float Rotation and Turnover Metrics

How to calculate and interpret float rotation, share turnover, and related volume metrics for analyzing stock trading activity and ownership dynamics.

intermediate 2025-12-26

Stock Market Foundations

How Public Companies Raise Equity Capital in US Markets

Master the mechanics of primary and secondary equity offerings, from IPO proceeds to follow-on issuance, with real dollar examples and SEC filing requirements.

intermediate 2025-12-24

Stock Market Foundations

IPO vs. Direct Listing vs. SPAC: Key Differences

Going public costs more than most investors realize--and the path a company chooses to get there tells you exactly who's getting the best deal.

intermediate 2025-12-13

$Free Float, Shares Outstanding, and Market Cap Math$

Stock Market Foundations

Free Float, Shares Outstanding, and Market Cap Math

Shares outstanding, free float, and diluted counts yield different market caps; float drives index weighting, liquidity, and short-squeeze mechanics.

intermediate 2025-12-03

Stock Market Foundations

The Role of Market Makers and Wholesalers

Understanding how market makers and wholesalers provide liquidity, execute retail orders, and profit from bid-ask spreads in US equity markets.

intermediate 2025-12-03

Stock Market Foundations

Dividends, Buybacks, and Total Shareholder Return

Learn how companies return capital to shareholders through dividends and buybacks, and how to calculate total shareholder return for any stock.

intermediate 2025-12-02

Stock Market Foundations

Reading Short Interest and Days to Cover

How to locate, calculate, and interpret short interest data and days-to-cover ratios for US-listed stocks.

intermediate 2025-12-02

Stock Market Foundations

Trading Sessions, Halts, and Circuit Breakers Explained

Understand when U.S. stock markets open and close, what triggers trading halts, and how circuit breakers protect markets during extreme volatility.

intermediate 2025-11-08

Stock Market Foundations

Retail vs. Institutional Participation Trends

Retail investors now account for approximately 25% of U.S. equity trading volume, up from 10% in 2010.

intermediate 2025-10-31

Stock Market Foundations

Understanding Prospectuses and S-1 Filings

The S-1 registration statement contains every material fact about a company going public, from financial statements to risk factors.

intermediate 2025-10-13

Stock Market Foundations

What Drives Stock Prices Over Days, Months, and Years

Understand the distinct forces that move stock prices across different time horizons, from intraday order flow to long-term earnings growth.

intermediate 2025-10-11

Stock Market Foundations

Common vs. Preferred Stock Structures and Rights

Understand the legal and economic differences between common and preferred shares, including dividend priority, liquidation rights, and conversion mechanics.

intermediate 2025-10-08