After a trader decides to jump into the stock market, they must be able to intelligently make decisions about buying and selling stocks and options. The Market Research area on The Dedicated Trader is a good place to begin that search, particularly under the corner devoted to today's markets.

There are three primary landing places in the today's market section: market insight, the intraday market review, and upgrades and downgrades. All three spots provide valuable information and insight that can help you make better decisions and better trades.

The market insight section spotlights the hot news of the day. It may be a news item or story about the market. Perhaps it's an earnings announcement or rumor that's sweeping the markets. Usually one or two hot stocks are highlighted each day, with in-depth analysis and diagnosis written by the BetterTrades financial team. The report includes information that details why these stocks should be of interest and how their news may affect the market.

The market update is done approximately every 30 minutes during the trading day. The BetterTrades team will look at the movement of the markets and determine which bit of news is affecting the direction the market might take. What's the effect of the latest government report? How is the price of crude oil moving? Which company says it plans to cut jobs? All information of that nature is included in the market update. At the end of the day the financial team produces a comprehensive report that details the day's action. This is especially valuable for people with jobs who can't watch the market during the day.

The downgrades and upgrades can potentially offer a signal as to a stock's direction. Stocks who are downgraded by a respected brokerage firm may take a dip when the market opens. Stocks who are upgraded may see their shares rise in value.

All this information is available to help make a trader better prepared to face the market.