Financial App Review: StockTwits

By Dian Vujovich

I’m of the mind that once a stock decision has been made the choice remains in place for an extended amount of time.

For instance, holding it for a number of months if not a year or more depending, of course, upon the company invested in and purpose for the investment. So I’m a kinda buy-it-and-forget-about-it investor. But that’s not the case for tens of thousands of others who have plenty of time to commiserate about the stocks they own and who are seriously into streaming opinions.

So, if you are the kind of person who is pretty much addicted to tap-tap-taping away your day, don’t necessarily think for yourself, enjoy streaming stock-related chatter and aren’t really concerned where that talk comes from—i.e, an investment professional or investment opinionator—then check out StockTwits.

It’s an aptly named app created by an investor, Howard Lindzon, in 2008. And while it has a place in the app world, I see its audience as limited to social media investment junkies.

StockTwits App

Overview: iTunes Preview reads: “Tap into the pulse of the markets with StockTwits”. Well, I’m not so sure about that. The pulse of the market in this app really reflects what’s going on with the stocks followed by the members of this social network.

•Data: Log on and heading choices include: Watchlist, Trending, Streams, Notifications, Inbox, Profile and More. All simple to figure out and use. Charts also included.

One of the stocks on my Watchlist is J.C.Penny (JCP). Tap on it and a trading chart appears, under it will be entries from dozens of others following the stock such as TipRanks, moneynerd and AICInvestments.

On Friday the 13th, for instance, moneynerd wrote: “I feel like I’m cheering on California Chrome right now with $JCP. Leeeeeeet’s go! lol .Bullish.”

And from AICInvestments: “$JCP. Good close…. strong open Monday! Cheers!”

•App is… Ideally suited for those who need a social network to keep them tuned in to what other investors are thinking and doing.

•Quality of data, information: Limited to opinions and charts. Some of which are from professional money managers and traders, others from skilled and not-so-skilled investors.

•Timeliness of date: Stock prices are updated daily and at the close of the trading day. Commentary goes on 24/7 on stocks followed.

•Sight navigation: Easy. Visually very easy-on-the-eyes and easy to navigate.

•Ad clutter: None that I came across.

•Problems: While the site is easy enough to use, I’m not sure how useful info in it really is.

•Cost: Free

•OVERALL Palm Beach Money Rating: Okay. Of the three ratings, Tops, Okay and Nah, I’m going with Okay because the site does provide information that could be of value to finger-crazy gotta-keep-in-touch folks who appear to be unable to think for themselves and need a social network to help them figure out whether to buy, sell or hold.