Benzinga - Market Data Source

Most market watchers have a routine they go through each morning to get up to speed on overnight market action and important events for the day ahead.  When I first started in the investment management business, my day started by reading The Wall Street Journal, followed by several phone calls to get market color.  In all, it typically took over an hour to get a feel for how the market day was likely to shape up.  Today, it is literally a matter of minutes.

My day begins with a report on the clock radio from a local broker typically giving an update on futures along with a couple of headlines - the day's first indication if stocks are likely to open higher or lower.

Once I get a little cereal and coffee in me, I go online and check out Yahoo! Finance and Bloomberg. More recently, I have come across Benzinga, a site I  recommend, especially if you don't have much time but want a comprehensive overview.  Let's take a look.

Benzinga Market Primer

The Market Primer is where you want to go:

You'll find it begins with a short summary of the main story of the day.  Today that's Cyprus.  It then follows with other "Top News."  Today this includes items such as foreign direct investment in China, Quantitative Easing in Japan, the value of the Euro, and S&P 500 futures.  The movement in the yields on 10-year Spanish and Italian bonds overnight, the most widely watched indicators of the impact of developments in the Euro zone by market watchers, is included as well.

Next there is a paragraph about Asian Markets, followed by paragraphs on:

• European Markets
• Commodities
• Currencies
• Pre-Market Movers (Stocks affected by overnight news)
• Earnings
• Economics

The site includes much, much more--especially if you are looking for investment ideas.  Check it out - I think you'll like it!