What is Ockham Research?
Ockham Research is an independent equity research and information analytics provider based in Atlanta, GA. Ockham works with both institutions and individuals sharpening information to foster better investment decisions.
Where does the name Ockham Research come from?
The name of Ockham Research pays homage to Ockham’s razor, the principle first espoused by the 14th century Franciscan friar William of Ockham (or Occam). Ockham’s razor states that entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity, or in other words, efficiency is valuable. We do not spend time analyzing the minute details, instead we prefer to focus on the bigger picture. To read more about the principle of Ockham’s razor and how it relates to equity research please visit our Ockham’s razor page.
How does Ockham evaluate stocks?
As our name suggests, we are always proponents of efficiency and simplicity where possible. For this reason, we judge securities based on their underlying fundamental strength. Then we compare that analysis versus how the market has valued the company in the past. This strategy has been adapted from the writings of Ben Graham. Over the years, our methodology has demonstrated an ability to identify securities that are trading outside of their historical valuation ranges. We understand that investors use a lot of different techniques to value stocks, our goal is to be a baseline from which to start. For more on this topic, visit our Methodology page.
What are Ockham’s ratings?
The Ockham valuation methodology looks at the fundamentals of a stock and attempts to establish a price range where the stock should reasonably trade. Equities that we cover fall into one of five distinct categories. Stocks that are trading for an attractive price given the underlying fundamentals are rated either our most bullish Greatly Undervalued or simply Undervalued. Stocks trading within what we consider to be a reasonable price range would be Fairly Valued. Lastly, stocks that are too expensive based on our methodology are deemed Overvalued or our most bearish Greatly Undervalued.
Which stocks does Ockham cover?
We cover more than 5,000 U.S. stocks and ADRs on our platform. We have data on even more stocks than that, but we only have valuations on stocks that have enough historical data available for us to utilize our methodology. All of these stocks reports and information are available to our clients 24 hours a day via the web. Simply enter a ticker symbol in the ticker box and hit enter, or if you don’t know the ticker, search it on the box just to the right of the ticker box.
Does Ockham have ties to investment banking clients?
We have no investment banking operations. Ockham is a truly independent research provider and none of our valuations are influenced by third parties.
What is RazorWire?
RazorWire is a proprietary news tracking tool developed by Ockham Research and powered by Psydex Corp. RazorWire listens for anytime a stock is mentioned on business television channels CNBC and Fox Business Network. When that occurs a “slice” is captured by RazorWire and available to clients just moments after it was said. Additionally, Ockham has begun to utilize the RazorWire technology for impactful finance blogs such as Barron’s Tech Trader Daily or Paul Kedrosky’s Infectious Greed. Quick access to all of this information is one way Ockham is keeping clients informed on what is happening in the market.
How quickly does RazorWire work?
It does depend on the source that RazorWire is slicing, and how clearly the company name is spoken. However, RazorWire normally captures data just minutes after it is said or written. Feel free to test it out when you are watching one of the business television shows we cover. In our testing, most times slices come in less than a minute after spoken. RazorWire can save users time by providing succinct recaps of the shows and blogs it covers that can be scanned for the impactful bits.
How does Ockham decide what sources to slice with RazorWire?
When first conceptualizing what would become RazorWire, we were interested in providing stock-specific news that carries the most impact. We analyzed newspapers, press releases, finance news websites, research reports, business television, blogs and more. What we discovered was that when a stock is mentioned on business television then it probably means something important has taken place such as an earnings release. Furthermore, we realized that viral, professional blogs carry a tremendous amount of weight as well. These two sources have far greater correlation to stock price volatility than print media or other sources. If there is a blog that you would like to see us slice, you can submit it for review to [email protected].
Who is the Motley Fool?
Users of Ockham Research will notice our affiliation with The Motley Fool investment community. For those unfamiliar with The Motley Fool, here is a quick synopsis from their website (www.fool.com):
Founded in 1993 in Alexandria, VA., by brothers David and Tom Gardner, The Motley Fool is a multimedia financial-services company dedicated to building the world’s greatest investment community. Reaching millions of people each month through its website, books, newspaper column, television appearances, and subscription newsletter services, The Motley Fool champions shareholder values and advocates tirelessly for the individual investor. The company’s name was taken from Shakespeare, whose wise fools both instructed and amused, and could speak the truth to the king — without getting their heads lopped off.Our Mission, Vision, and Values:
Our mission: To educate, amuse, and enrich
Our vision: To build the world’s greatest investment community
Our core values: Honesty, optimism, teamwork, innovation, winning
How much does it cost?
As opposed to some many research offerings who charge a hefty fee per report, Ockham grants clients access to their entire product suite for just $1 per month. We took a cue from Apple’s iTunes Store, and realized that the same micropayments phenomenon that has revolutionized music sales could do the same for our industry. We are very confident that investors will not fund a better value for their money.
How do I become a client?
First, enter your email address and create a password for the site. At that point, you will see our payment options. After completing the process through Paypal or Google Checkout and activating your account via a confirmation email, the entire Ockham client suite (research reports, RazorWire, CAPS ratings, weekly newsletter, our blog, portfolio analytics) will be available to you.
How do I cancel my account?
We do not handle payment processing directly, so if a client would like to cancel their subscription, they must log into the account that was used to purchase (either Paypal or Google Checkout) and follow their cancelation instructions. Once you complete this process your subscription payments will be disabled.