> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://guide.askape.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # My First Stock Research **Scenario:** You saw a stock trending on Twitter/TikTok/WSB and want to research it before investing. **Time:** 5-10 minutes **Platform:** ✅ Both iOS & Web **Best for:** 🌱 First-time investors *** ## The Situation You're scrolling through Twitter and see **\$TSLA** trending. Everyone's talking about it. You're curious but don't know where to start. Let's use Ape AI to research it properly. *** ## Step-by-Step Guide ### Step 1: Search for the Stock **📱 iOS:** 1. Open Ape AI 2. Tap the **Search icon** (top right) 3. Type **"TSLA"** 4. Tap the result **🌐 Web:** 1. Go to app.askape.com 2. Click the **Search bar** (top) or press `/` 3. Type **"TSLA"** 4. Click the result or press Enter Search for TSLA - iOS and Web *** ### Step 2: Check the AI Snapshot Grades You'll land on the ticker page. First thing: **check the 4 grades**. **The 4 Grades:** 1. **Fundamental** (A-F) - Company health, earnings, growth 2. **Technical** (A-F) - Chart patterns, momentum 3. **Sentiment** (A-F) - What analysts and social media say 4. **Risk** (A-F) - Downside risks, volatility **Quick interpretation:** * **A's and B's** ✅ - Generally positive * **C's** ⚠️ - Neutral, be careful * **D's and F's** ❌ - Warning signs **Example:** TSLA might show: * Fundamental: B- (good growth but pricey) * Technical: A+ (strong momentum) * Sentiment: A- (bullish overall) * Risk: C- (high volatility) *** ### Step 3: Read "How It Makes Money" Scroll down to the **Company Story** section. Tap/click the first card: **"How It Makes Money"** This explains: * Tesla's business model (EVs, energy, AI) * Main revenue streams * What products they sell **Read this to understand:** What does this company actually do? *** ### Step 4: Check "Pricey or Cheap" This is the key valuation question! Scroll to the **"Pricey or Cheap"** card and tap/click to expand. **What you'll learn:** * Is the stock overvalued or undervalued? * How does it compare to competitors? * What's a fair value estimate? **But we can go deeper with AI...** *** ### Step 5: Ask the AI "Is It Overvalued?" Let's get AI analysis on the valuation. **📱 iOS:** 1. Scroll down on the ticker page 2. Tap **"Pricey or Cheap"** quick prompt (if available) OR 3. Go to **Chat tab** (bottom) 4. Use Quick Action: **"Pricey or Cheap"** 5. Select TSLA when prompted **🌐 Web:** 1. Click **Chat** in sidebar 2. Click **Prompts icon** (or press `Ctrl+P`) 3. Select **"Pricey or Cheap"** 4. Type "TSLA" when asked **The AI will tell you:** * Current valuation metrics * Compared to historical average * Compared to peers (other EV companies) * Whether it's expensive or cheap right now * Key risks to the valuation **This is the answer to:** *"Should I buy it at this price?"* *** ### Step 6: Read Bulls vs Bears Go back to the ticker page (if you're in Chat) and scroll to **Bulls vs Bears** section. **You'll see:** * **Analyst breakdown**: % Buy, Hold, Sell * **Visual bar**: Green (bullish) vs Red (bearish) * **Bulls Say**: Why people are optimistic * **Bears Say**: Why people are cautious **Read both sides!** This prevents confirmation bias. *** ### Step 7: Check the Risks ("Bagholder Risks") Scroll to Company Story and tap **"Bagholder Risks"** **This tells you:** * What could go wrong long-term * Risks for holding the stock * Warning signs to watch **Example TSLA risks:** * Competition from legacy automakers * Dependence on Elon Musk * Regulatory changes * Valuation risk (if earnings disappoint) **Don't skip this!** Every stock has risks. *** ### Step 8: Compare Performance vs S\&P 500 Scroll down to **Performance Comparison** **You'll see:** * TSLA's return vs S\&P 500 over time * Outperformance or underperformance % * Chart showing both performances **Why this matters:** * If it's underperforming the market, why buy it? * If it's outperforming, is it sustainable? *** ## Decision Framework After your research, you should know: ✅ **What the company does** (How It Makes Money) ✅ **If it's overvalued or not** (Pricey or Cheap + AI analysis) ✅ **What bulls and bears think** (Sentiment) ✅ **What could go wrong** (Bagholder Risks) ✅ **How it's performed** (vs S\&P 500) **Now ask yourself:** 1. Do I understand the business? 2. Do I believe in the long-term story? 3. Am I comfortable with the valuation? 4. Can I handle the risks? 5. Is this better than just buying SPY (S\&P 500)? **If YES to all 5** → Consider adding to watchlist or buying **If NO to any** → Keep researching or pass *** ## 💡 Pro Tips 1. **Don't buy immediately** - Add to watchlist first, watch for a few days 2. **Check multiple sources** - Ape AI is one tool, not the only tool 3. **Read the risks** - Don't just focus on the upside 4. **Compare to alternatives** - Check Related Companies on the ticker page 5. **Start small** - First investment? Use \[Paper Trading]\(\<../Pre-Investor/Getting Started/paper-trading-practice.md>) first! *** ## What You Learned 🎓 **You now know how to:** * Search for any stock on Ape AI * Read AI Snapshot Grades * Understand company business model * Assess valuation (pricey or cheap) * Use AI for deeper analysis * Read Bulls vs Bears sentiment * Identify key risks * Compare performance to market **This process works for ANY stock**, not just TSLA. *** ## What's Next? **Add the stock to your watchlist:** * 📱 iOS: Tap the star icon (top right on ticker page) * 🌐 Web: Click the star icon **Practice with paper trading:** * \[Get Ape Paper Trading Account]\(\<../Pre-Investor/Getting Started/paper-trading-practice.md>) * Place a practice trade * Watch how it performs **Research more stocks:** * Try the same process with other tickers * Use [Themes](../../features/themes/) to find similar stocks * Ask AI: *"What are stocks similar to TSLA?"* **Learn more about analysis:** * [Understanding Snapshot Grades](../../Features/Ticker/snapshot-grades) * [Bulls vs Bears Explained](../../Features/Ticker/bulls-bears) * [Company Story Deep Dive](../../Features/Ticker/company-story) *** ## Common Mistakes to Avoid ❌ **Buying based on hype alone** - Twitter trends aren't research ❌ **Ignoring the valuation** - Overpriced stocks can fall even if the company is good ❌ **Only reading Bulls Say** - Always check Bears Say too ❌ **Skipping risk analysis** - Every stock has risks ❌ **Investing money you can't afford to lose** - Only invest what you can lose *** ## Questions? **Still not sure about something?** * [Contact Support](../../support) * Ask in Discord **Want to try another workflow?** * [Finding My First Investment](first-research) - Build a long-term portfolio * \[Learning with Paper Trading]\(\<../Pre-Investor/Getting Started/paper-trading-practice.md>) - Practice risk-free *** **Congrats! 🎉 You just did your first proper stock research. Keep learning, start small, and never invest what you can't afford to lose.** 🦍🚀 Let's find that alpha!