Screen stocks. Study the context. Keep the ideas you want to revisit.
Read observation dates and calculation periods alongside market values.
Check the observation date
Different views can depend on different update schedules. Look for the displayed session or observation date before comparing a chart with a scan or market table. Intraday observations and completed daily observations are different kinds of information.
Understand the covered universe
A ranking or aggregate describes the symbols included in its calculation. Set the universe and observation date explicitly before comparing a ranking with another result.
Read historical limits
Historical scans use historical prices through the selected session, with company details using current metadata where indicated. Corporate-action records do not automatically adjust the displayed price series. Keep these distinctions with exported data and shared research.
Separate corporate actions from adjusted prices
In a hypothetical 2-for-1 split, one share at 100 becomes two shares near 50 before other market moves. The holder’s proportional ownership does not double. An unadjusted chart can show a discontinuity that changes averages and percentage returns; a split-adjusted series rescales earlier prices using its defined factor. Recording a corporate action does not by itself rescale the price series.
Distinguish a price chart from total return
A cash dividend is separate from the share price. A hypothetical price move from 100 to 102 gives a 2% price return; adding a dividend of 3 produces 5% before costs under that simple holding-period example. A dividend-adjusted or total-return series needs an explicit adjustment and reinvestment convention. Compare charts only after checking that their bases agree.
Read our data and methodology notes for calculation context. This guide explains research tools and observations. It does not recommend a trade or investment.