Stock analysis
U.S. stock analysis: a seven-question checklist
A practical way to read company results, valuation, price context and news while keeping facts separate from assumptions.
Start with a question you can investigate
A useful stock analysis begins with a specific question: what changed in this company, and what evidence would change my interpretation? A price chart alone cannot answer that. Our checklist separates seven questions into three passes: identify the business and reporting period; examine growth, cash and valuation; then consider price context and the source of the latest news. This is a reading workflow, not a score that tells everyone to make the same decision.
1–2. Which business, and which reporting period?
Confirm the company name, exchange and security type before comparing numbers. A company, its foreign listing and an exchange-traded fund can have similar names while representing different things. Next write down the fiscal period and when the result became public. A newly updated dashboard can still display an older financial report. In your notes, keep the observation date separate from the report period so that an apparent change does not come only from comparing unlike windows.
Sources: SEC EDGAR: company filings
3–4. What grew, and where is the cash?
Revenue, earnings and operating cash flow answer different questions. The SEC's financial-statement guide explains why income and cash-flow statements should be read together. For our workflow, put the relevant figures in a small table with the same periods and units. Then write one sentence about what you still cannot explain. For example, an illustrative company could report stronger sales while collecting customer payments more slowly. That discrepancy is a question to investigate in the filing, not proof of a problem by itself. SEC: Beginners' Guide to Financial Statements
5. What assumptions are inside the valuation?
A valuation ratio compresses several assumptions into one number. Label the earnings period, currency and comparison group beside it. If you are using a forecast, mark it as a forecast. Two companies with the same displayed ratio may have different business risks or different earnings definitions. An effective note says which comparison you chose and why, rather than treating a low value on the screen as a complete assessment of the business.
6–7. What does the chart show, and what does the news establish?
Check the chart's interval, observation time and trading session. A five-minute candle describes how observations are grouped; it does not establish a five-minute delivery delay. For news, open the original report and distinguish a company announcement, an analyst interpretation and a repeated headline. Record the claim you can verify. If the available evidence does not explain the price move, leave that gap visible instead of supplying a confident story just because the chart moved.
Use the checklist with GSDAQ
Open a company in GSDAQ and use its analysis as the starting point for these questions. Compare the displayed sources and dates with the original material when available. A useful follow-up is: which statements are observed facts, which are assumptions, and what information is missing? Keep a short research note containing the question, evidence and unresolved issue. That note is easier to revisit after the next earnings release than an isolated favorable or unfavorable label.