Reviewed by Thomas Brock
Everybody wants to gain an edge in the markets, and social media has become a key ingredient in the mix. Major names like Facebook and Snapchat have evolved to become sources of information and breaking news. But the X platform (formerly Twitter) stands out among social media sites as a valuable source of breaking news, alerts, and tips that can inform trading decisions.
Key Takeaways:
- The most respected financial journals have X feeds that follow the news and often break it there first.
- You can use financial X feeds to get up-to-date information as well as analyst commentary, trader chat, and more.
- Consider using a social media dashboard app to streamline posts.
- Some of the major financial feeds include @CNBC, @Bespoke, and @WSJDealJournal.
The Best X Feeds for Investors
It isn’t unusual for breaking news to pop up on social media along with or even before the media’s in-depth reporting. Some of these events:
- The death of athlete Kobe Bryant in 2020 was first posted by the entertainment site TMZ. The outlet sent a tweet about the athlete’s death in a helicopter crash before filing a report on its website.
- Former President Donald Trump tweeted his decision to fire Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on March 13, 2018. The announcement caused uncertainty in the oil market, leading to speculation that increased risk could disrupt supplies.
- The 2012 Costa Concordia cruise ship disaster broke on feeds in the U.K. before it was widely reported elsewhere.
- The news that Greece had an economic reform deal with the European Union (EU) was reported by a reputable news outlet on its feed before the news hit the wires. Business Insider used a chart of the euro’s price to show how some savvy traders grabbed the chance to make money before most others got the news.
It’s not easy to find that one useful post among millions of constantly updating feeds. Some money managers use other social media dashboard apps to filter their results. If you’re an individual investor who’s looking for the latest in financial news, consider following some or all of the following 10 feeds.
1. @CNBC
The financial news network provides real-time business information to 355 million households worldwide per month. Its 14-hour live coverage is geared toward individual investors as well as trading professionals. The outlet’s account has more than 4.3 million followers.
2. @Benzinga
Benzinga provides real-time coverage of financial news, analyst upgrades and downgrades, and technical events like price breakouts or unusual volume. The site boasts more than 25 million readers per month. It has more than 288,000 followers on the social media platform.
3. @Stocktwits
The active trading community monitors Stocktwits’ feed, which has one million followers. Stocktwits is a real-time service that allows investors from all over the world to post what they are seeing and how they are trading at any given moment. The feed has highlights from those conversations.
4. @BreakoutStocks
The @BreakoutStocks feed, produced by TopBreakoutStocks.com, tracks stocks that demonstrate unusual price or volume changes, or both. The account has about 108,000 followers.
5. @bespokeinvest
Bespoke Investment Group is a respected Wall Street research firm with about 233,000 followers on X. You can check its website for its easy-to-read reports and follow it for alerts to new stories.
6. @WSJMarkets
Nobody needs an introduction to The Wall Street Journal. But you may not know that among its many X feeds is @WSJMarkets, which provides real-time finance, economic, and market news as it happens. The account has more than 940,000 followers.
7. @Stephanie_Link
If you’re a fan of Jim Cramer (@jimcramer) you’ll also appreciate the contributions of Stephanie Link, former director of research for his charitable trust. She’s now a frequent contributor to CNBC and a prolific tweeter. She’s also the chief investment strategist and portfolio manager at Hightower Advisors and boasts about 180,000 followers on X.
8. @nytimesbusiness
The New York Times business feed provides up-to-the-minute market news and other notable events. Financial news reporting is a fiercely competitive business, so having several of the best feeds is a good plan. Following this business feed means you’ll join the other 885,000 people looking for the latest business news.
9. @IBDinvestors
Investors Business Daily is a well-regarded publication intended for individual investors. Its feed focuses on the latest new trade-worthy ideas and has more than 400,000 followers.
10. @WSJDealJournal
This is another feed from The Wall Street Journal. If you’re interested in mergers and acquisitions, this is the one for you. It includes news and commentary on private equity activities and initial public offerings as well. It has about 11,000 followers on the X feed, making it a virtual niche feed but a crucial one if you follow this area.
When Did Twitter Become X?
Twitter was officially renamed X on July 24, 2023, after Elon Musk bought the company. Twitter’s company name was changed to X Corp in April 2023.
What Are the Best Sources of Information for Investors?
Investors can go directly to the source to find financial information on companies that are of interest to them. Company filings with the SEC can be accessed on the EDGAR database. Corporate websites also post their financial statements, annual reports, and press releases.
What Magazines Should Investors Follow?
The following are among the best financial magazines recommended by most sources: The Economist, Barron’s, Kiplinger’s, Investor’s Business Daily, Bloomberg Businessweek, Forbes, and Money.
The Bottom Line
While social media can be a valuable source of breaking news, these feeds should not be the sole source for decision-making. Savvy investors should read and learn from more nuanced media reports, corporate filings, and more to get a vision of a company’s performance and prospects.