Beginner-safe workflow
Move from recent context to filings, risks, valuation context, fund exposure, and final notes without jumping straight to a conclusion.
Free research asset
Stock research checklist
A 15-point, beginner-friendly workflow for organizing stock research before making independent decisions.
Last reviewed: May 23, 2026
Use it before the opinion hardens
The goal is not to produce a price target. The goal is to make your source trail, risks, and assumptions visible.
No login required; use it right on this page.
Start with sources before forming a conclusion.
Write the strongest counterargument to your first view.
Save final notes with links, risks, and a review date.
Source trail built in
Every note should point back to a filing, earnings release, company update, chart view, or other source you can revisit.
Research-only framing
The checklist keeps language educational and avoids personalized recommendations, price targets, and outcome promises.
Work through the checklist
Work through the 15 points, add source links, and keep the final notes for your own review.
0 of 15 complete
Build your notes
Fill in source links, observations, open questions, and follow-up items as you work.
Your notes stay in this browser until you copy, download, print, or reset them.
Recent News
Look for material updates: product changes, lawsuits, guidance revisions, leadership changes, financing, regulation, and major customer or supplier news.
Earnings
Review the latest release, call transcript, margins, free cash flow, balance sheet movement, and whether management commentary matches the numbers.
SEC Filings
Use filings to confirm share count, debt, dilution, segment reporting, related-party disclosures, and risk factor changes.
Risk Factors
Write down the most realistic ways the thesis could be wrong, including competition, cyclicality, financing needs, concentration, and execution risk.
Valuation Context
Compare valuation ratios with peers, industry norms, growth rate, margin profile, and the company's own history. Treat valuation as context, not a prediction.
ETF/Fund Exposure
Check whether you already own exposure through ETFs, mutual funds, retirement accounts, or thematic funds before adding more single-company concentration.
Institutional Activity
Use 13F and fund ownership changes as backward-looking context. They can explain flows, but they are not instructions.
Sentiment
Read both optimistic and skeptical arguments. Separate source quality from emotional tone, and avoid relying on isolated social posts.
Chart Context
Note trend, volatility, gaps, support/resistance zones, and volume. Chart context can help with timing awareness but does not guarantee outcomes.
Final Research Notes
End with a concise summary: what you know, what you do not know, key risks, source links, and the next scheduled review date.
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FAQ
This checklist is for organizing research notes. It does not provide personalized recommendations, trade instructions, or guaranteed outcomes.
Use primary sources where possible and update your notes when new earnings, filings, or material news appears.