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Golden Ears Finance - Help & Documentation

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Core Philosophy

Golden Ears Finance was designed with a singular purpose: to automatically discover trending stocks by analyzing global RSS news feeds. The software extracts stock tickers mentioned in financial news across 116 sources from 8 regions worldwide (110 RSS, 5 Atom, 1 API), surfacing opportunities based on real market momentum and media attention.

Important: Manually Introduced Stocks

Dilution Warning

Adding stocks manually (through share targets, direct input, or other means) will dilute the original intent of Golden Ears Finance. The power of this platform lies in its ability to identify stocks that are organically trending in financial news.

Manually introduced stocks:

  • May not have supporting news momentum or media coverage
  • Can skew your watchlist away from data-driven discoveries
  • Bypass the RSS-based validation that makes this tool unique

Recommendation: Use manual stock additions sparingly and rely primarily on the RSS-driven trending analysis for best results.

Share to Golden Ears

Golden Ears supports the Web Share Target API, allowing you to share content directly from other apps to Golden Ears on your mobile device.

How It Works

1. Find an Article or Link

When browsing financial news in your browser, news app, or social media, find content you want to analyze.

2. Tap Share

Use your device's native share button. Look for Golden Ears in the share menu options.

3. Golden Ears Opens

The app will open and process the shared content, extracting any stock tickers or relevant information.

4. Review & Add

Extracted tickers are shown for you to review and optionally add to your watchlists.

What You Can Share

Requirements

PWA Installation Required

Share Target only works when Golden Ears is installed as a PWA on your device. To install:

  • Android: Open Golden Ears in Chrome, tap the menu (3 dots), select "Add to Home screen" or "Install app"
  • iOS: Open in Safari, tap Share button, select "Add to Home Screen"

Reminder: Manual Additions

Remember that stocks added via Share Target are manual additions and may not have RSS-driven trending validation. See the Core Philosophy section above for more details.

ETF Tracking

The trending ticker bar automatically identifies and highlights Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) mentioned in financial news, distinguishing them from individual stocks.

How It Works

Automatic ETF Detection

The system recognizes 58 popular ETFs and displays a blue ETF badge next to their ticker symbols in the trending bar.

Full ETF Names

Click on any ETF ticker to open the modal and see its full name (e.g., "SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust" for SPY).

Visual Distinction

ETF badges use a distinctive blue gradient to help you quickly differentiate between ETFs and individual stocks.

Quick Analysis

ETFs can be analyzed just like stocks - click to view stats, run AI analysis, or add to your watchlists.

Stock Details Popup

Clicking any trending ticker opens a detailed popup with live financial data from Yahoo Finance:

EPS (Earnings Per Share)

Current trailing EPS showing company profitability per outstanding share.

Forward EPS

Analyst-estimated future EPS for the next fiscal year.

52-Week Range

The stock's highest and lowest prices over the past year, showing price volatility.

Target Price

Analyst consensus 1-year price target with upside/downside percentage from current price.

P/E Ratios

Current and forward P/E ratios for valuation assessment.

Market Cap & Sector

Company market capitalization and industry sector classification.

Supported ETFs (52 Total)

Broad Market

SPY, QQQ, IWM, VTI, VOO, IVV, DIA, VT, VEA, VWO

Sector ETFs

XLF, XLE, XLK, XLV, XLI, XLP, XLY, XLU, XLB, XLRE, XLC

Bond & Fixed Income

TLT, BND, HYG, LQD, TIP, SHY, IEF, AGG

Commodities

GLD, SLV, USO, GDX, GDXJ

Leveraged & Inverse

TQQQ, SQQQ, SPXU, UPRO, UVXY, SOXL, SOXS, LABU, LABD

Thematic

ARKK, ARKG, SMH, SOXX, XBI, IBB, VNQ, SCHD, JEPI, JEPQ

News Feed Display

Each article in the news feed displays rich metadata extracted from RSS sources to help you quickly assess content relevance and credibility.

Article Information

Author Attribution

When available, the article author's name is displayed in the footer alongside the source and publication date. This helps identify content from trusted analysts or journalists you follow.

Content Tags

Articles may display up to 5 topic tags as small badges above the footer. Tags are extracted directly from RSS feeds and can include categories like sectors, asset classes, or themes (e.g., "Technology", "Earnings", "Fed").

Source & Date

Every article shows its source publication and relative timestamp (e.g., "2 hours ago") so you can prioritize recent news from preferred sources.

Stock Ticker Extraction

The system automatically identifies stock tickers mentioned in article titles and summaries, making it easy to track which companies are in the news.

Data Availability

Note on RSS Metadata

Not all RSS feeds provide author names or tags. The display adapts automatically—if metadata is unavailable, those fields simply won't appear. Major financial sources like Reuters, Bloomberg, and Seeking Alpha typically include rich metadata.

Regional Weighting System

The narrative engine uses regional weighting to provide more accurate market intelligence by considering the geographic origin of news sources.

Supported Regions

US United States
Weight: 1.0
Europe European Union & UK
Weight: 0.9
Asia China, Japan, India, HK
Weight: 0.85
Global Multi-regional sources
Weight: 0.8
MiddleEast Gulf States, Israel, etc.
Weight: 0.75
Oceania Australia, New Zealand
Weight: 0.7
LatAm Latin America
Weight: 0.6
Africa African continent
Weight: 0.5

How Regional Weighting Works

Narrative Scoring

Each narrative's strength score includes a regional coverage bonus (up to 15 points). Multi-region coverage increases the score.

Regional Heatmaps

Visualize which regions are driving specific narratives. Higher weights indicate more market-moving potential.

AI Summaries

AI analysis considers regional context when generating narrative summaries and predictions.

Theme Tracking

Track how narratives spread across regions over time for better trend analysis.

Narrative Categories (26 Total)

AI API Key Required

This feature requires an OpenAI and/or Grok API key to generate AI confidence scores and summaries. Configure your API keys in Account > API Keys.

Tech & Innovation

  • AI/LLM Hype Cycle
  • Fintech Disruption
  • EV/Battery Tech

Macro & Policy

  • Fed Rate Pivot
  • Recession Risk
  • Inflation Trade
  • EU Inflation
  • Japan Bond Yields

Geopolitical

  • War / Geopolitical Risk
  • China Trade War
  • Middle East Geopolitics
  • China Macro

Commodities

  • Oil / Commodities Shock
  • Gold / Safe Haven
  • OPEC / Energy Policy

Forex

  • Dollar Strength/Weakness
  • Yen Carry Trade
  • EM Currency Volatility

Sectors & Themes

  • Tech Mega-Cap Rotation
  • Energy Sector Surge
  • Healthcare/Biotech
  • Real Estate/REIT
  • Crypto/Bitcoin Rally
  • Short Squeeze / Meme Stocks

Super AI Picks

End-of-day AI-generated top stock picks that combine multiple data signals into a composite "Super AI Score". Found under Watchlists > Super AI Picks.

No API Key Required

Super AI Picks uses existing data from other modules. No additional API key is needed, though better results come from having AI analysis data from OpenAI/Grok enabled.

How It Works

The Super AI Score combines 7 weighted components:

Trend Score

Based on news mentions and source diversity from all 116 feeds in the last 24 hours. Higher scores mean more media attention.

Narrative Score

Participation in active market narratives. Stocks appearing in multiple strong narratives score higher.

DIS Score

Derivative Impact Score measuring options, dark pool, and institutional activity.

ETF Score

Institutional ETF exposure based on how many ETFs hold the stock and total weight across all ETF holdings.

AI Matrix Score

Consensus from dual AI analysis (OpenAI + Grok valuation opinions).

Macro Score

Economic environment factor from FRED data including GDP, unemployment, inflation, and interest rates.

TSP/EM Bonus

Extra points for stocks with exposure to TSP funds or Emerging Markets (not part of weight distribution).

Three Profile Options

Profile Weights Min Score Best For
Conservative 32% AI, 20% DIS, 16% Narrative, 12% Macro, 10% Trend, 10% ETF 75 Higher confidence, AI-validated picks
Aggressive 25% Trend, 23% AI, 20% Narrative, 12% Macro, 12% DIS, 8% ETF 65 Momentum-oriented, higher risk picks
Custom User-defined weights (must total 100%) User-defined Personalized strategy based on your investment style

Custom Weight Configuration

Create your own scoring formula with the Custom profile:

Preset Dropdown

Quick access to common configurations: AI Heavy (50% AI), Trend Heavy (35% Trend), Balanced (16% each), Macro Focus (32% Macro), DIS Focus (32% DIS), and ETF Focus (28% ETF).

Slider Controls

Fine-tune each component weight using sliders. Real-time validation ensures weights total exactly 100%.

Threshold Settings

Set your own minimum score threshold and bonus cap to control which stocks qualify for your picks.

Persistent Settings

Your custom weights are saved locally and persist between sessions. Click "Save & Apply" then "Generate Now" to use them.

Schedule

Super AI Picks are regenerated automatically every 2 hours. You can also click "Generate Now" to trigger an immediate refresh with your current profile settings.

Emerging Markets Spotlight

AI-powered market intelligence module that tracks narratives across 15 emerging market regions. Found under Watchlists > EM Spotlight.

AI API Key Required

This feature requires an OpenAI and/or Grok API key for dual AI analysis. Both keys are recommended for consensus scoring. Configure your API keys in Account > API Keys.

Tracked Regions (15 Total)

Brazil Bovespa, Petrobras, Vale, Real currency LatAm feeds
Argentina Merval, Buenos Aires, YPF, Peso LatAm feeds
Mexico Bolsa, IPC Index, Peso, FEMSA LatAm feeds
India Sensex, Nifty, BSE, NSE, Rupee Asia feeds
South Africa JSE, Johannesburg, Rand, Naspers Africa feeds
Nigeria NGX, Lagos, Naira, Dangote Africa feeds
Egypt EGX, Cairo, Egyptian Pound Africa/MiddleEast feeds
China Shanghai, Shenzhen, CSI, Hang Seng, Yuan Asia feeds
Indonesia IDX, Jakarta, Rupiah Asia feeds
Thailand SET, Bangkok, Baht Asia feeds
Vietnam Ho Chi Minh, VN-Index, Dong Asia feeds
Turkey BIST, Istanbul, Lira Europe/MiddleEast feeds
Poland WSE, Warsaw, Zloty Europe feeds
Middle East Gulf, Dubai, Saudi, Tadawul, Abu Dhabi MiddleEast feeds
APAC Asia-Pacific, ASEAN, Pacific Rim Asia + Oceania feeds

Features

Dual AI Analysis

Both OpenAI and Grok analyze region-specific news and generate consensus narratives with confidence scores.

Smart Keyword Filtering

Each region has specific keywords (indices, currencies, major companies) to identify relevant articles from RSS feeds.

Sentiment & Outlook

AI generates sentiment (bullish/bearish/neutral), market outlook, and risk level for each region.

Ticker Extraction

Automatically extracts mentioned stock tickers from articles for quick watchlist additions.

How to Use

  1. Navigate to Watchlists > EM Spotlight in the sidebar
  2. Click "Scan All Regions" to generate AI narratives (requires API keys)
  3. View region cards showing sentiment, outlook, and key metrics
  4. Click any card to see detailed AI summaries and related articles

Automation

Background scans run every 2 hours to keep narratives fresh. Manual scans can be triggered anytime.

Dedicated EM Feeds (10 sources)

These feeds are exclusively used by the EM Spotlight module and are not included in general narrative scanning:

Global EM Coverage

  • Reuters - Emerging Markets
  • Financial Times - Emerging Markets
  • The Economist - Finance & Economics

Latin America

  • LatinFinance
  • MercoPress - South Atlantic
  • Buenos Aires Times - Economy

Africa

  • Business Daily Africa
  • Moneyweb South Africa
  • Business Insider South Africa

Asia

  • ADB - Emerging Asia

SEC Filings Module

Real-time SEC filing tracking and analysis. Found under Tools > SEC Filings.

AI API Key Required

AI-generated filing summaries require an OpenAI or Grok API key. Basic filing data is available without API keys. Configure your API keys in Account > API Keys.

Tracked Filing Types

8-K (Current Reports)

Material events requiring immediate disclosure - mergers, acquisitions, leadership changes, material agreements.

10-K (Annual Reports)

Comprehensive annual financial reports with audited statements, business overview, and risk factors.

10-Q (Quarterly Reports)

Quarterly financial statements and management discussion of financial condition.

Form 4 (Insider Trading)

Insider transactions - purchases, sales, and option exercises by company insiders.

13F (Institutional Holdings)

Quarterly reports of institutional investment managers with $100M+ in assets.

S-1/S-3 (Registrations)

Securities registration statements for IPOs and secondary offerings.

Features

Dark Pool Transparency

Monitor dark pool trading activity and institutional order flow. Found under Tools > Dark Pool.

Key Metrics

Dark Pool Volume

Off-exchange trading volume as percentage of total volume - high percentages may indicate institutional accumulation.

Block Trades

Large block transactions (10,000+ shares) that bypass public exchanges.

Net Sentiment

Buy vs sell pressure in dark pools - positive indicates accumulation, negative indicates distribution.

Unusual Activity Alerts

Automated detection of abnormal dark pool activity spikes relative to historical averages.

Integration with Squeeze Scanner

Dark pool data feeds directly into the Squeeze Score calculation, with high dark pool activity contributing to the overall squeeze potential rating.

Macro & FRED Module

Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) integration for macro indicators. Found under Tools > Macro/FRED.

AI API Key Required

AI analysis of macro trends and market implications requires an OpenAI or Grok API key. Chart and data display works without API keys. Configure your API keys in Account > API Keys.

Key Economic Indicators

Interest Rates

Federal Funds Rate, Treasury yields (2Y, 10Y, 30Y), yield curve analysis.

Inflation Metrics

CPI, PCE, PPI - core and headline inflation tracking with historical trends.

Employment Data

Unemployment rate, nonfarm payrolls, jobless claims, labor force participation.

GDP & Growth

Real GDP growth, industrial production, consumer spending, housing starts.

Features

Earnings Intelligence

Comprehensive earnings calendar with AI-powered impact analysis. Found under Tools > Earnings.

AI API Key Required

AI-powered impact predictions and earnings analysis require an OpenAI or Grok API key. Calendar and basic earnings data are available without API keys. Configure your API keys in Account > API Keys.

Features

Earnings Calendar

Upcoming earnings dates with expected EPS, revenue estimates, and historical beat/miss records.

AI Impact Prediction

Pre-earnings AI analysis predicting potential market reaction (bullish/bearish/neutral).

Surprise Tracking

Track earnings surprises - magnitude of beats/misses and subsequent price movements.

Sector Earnings Heatmap

Visual overview of earnings performance by sector and market cap.

How to Use

  1. View weekly earnings calendar in the Earnings section
  2. Click any stock to see detailed expectations and AI analysis
  3. Set alerts for stocks in your watchlists
  4. Review post-earnings analysis after results are released

Social Interest Score (SIS)

AI-powered social sentiment analysis from Reddit financial communities. Integrated throughout the platform.

AI API Key Required

Sentiment classification (bullish/bearish/neutral) requires an OpenAI or Grok API key. Basic mention counts and velocity are available without API keys. Configure your API keys in Account > API Keys.

How SIS Works

Reddit Feed Analysis

Aggregates mentions from r/wallstreetbets, r/stocks, r/investing, r/options, r/SecurityAnalysis, and r/StockMarket.

Mention Velocity

Tracks how quickly a stock's mentions are increasing - spikes indicate emerging interest.

Sentiment Classification

AI classifies each mention as bullish, bearish, or neutral based on context.

SIS Score (0-100)

Combined score based on mention volume, velocity, sentiment, and source diversity.

SIS Integration Points

ETF Intelligence v2

Comprehensive ETF analytics with holdings data and constituent analysis. Found under Watchlists > ETF Intelligence.

Temperature Indicators

Each ETF displays a temperature badge indicating current activity level:

Hot (Fire Emoji)

ETF has strong momentum (change > 2%) or good gains combined with high trading volume relative to average.

Warm (Thermometer)

ETF is positive or has above-average trading activity. Moderate opportunity indicator.

Cold (Snowflake)

ETF is negative or has below-average volume. Lower activity level.

Holdings Analysis

Holdings Breakdown

Complete list of holdings for 35+ tracked ETFs with weight percentages and sector allocation.

Overlap Analysis

Compare any two ETFs to see shared holdings and understand diversification or concentration.

Stock ETF Exposure

For any stock, see which ETFs hold it and at what weight - useful for understanding institutional ownership.

Concentration Analysis

HHI index and top 10 weight metrics to assess ETF concentration risk.

Top Holdings Matrix

View the most common stocks held across all tracked ETFs to identify market consensus positions.

ETFs by Institution

Research view organizing 100+ ETFs by their issuing institution. Click "Load Institutions" to see 17 major ETF issuers with AUM and market share data:

Major Issuers

BlackRock (iShares), Vanguard, State Street (SPDR), Invesco, Schwab, JPMorgan, ARK Invest, VanEck, and more.

AUM & Market Share

Each issuer shows assets under management and their share of the US ETF market.

Expandable Lists

Click any issuer card to expand and see all ETFs they manage. Click any ETF to view details.

Research Focus

Only loads on demand - click the button to fetch data without slowing down page navigation.

ETF Expense Ratios

Real-time expense ratio data for 80+ ETFs showing annual costs. Color-coded tiers help identify low-cost options:

Data Updates

Holdings data syncs daily via background scheduler to ensure current information.

Sector Rotation Signals

Real-time capital flow detection using 10 ETF pair comparisons to identify market sentiment shifts. Found under Watchlists > ETF Intelligence.

How It Works

The system compares pairs of ETFs that represent opposing market themes. When one ETF significantly outperforms its pair, it signals capital rotation and changing investor sentiment.

Signal Interpretation

Risk-On Green signals Capital flowing into growth, tech, and aggressive assets
Risk-Off Red signals Capital flowing into bonds, gold, and defensive assets
Neutral No significant spread No clear directional bias in the market

ETF Pairs Tracked

XLK vs XLF Tech vs Financials Growth vs value sector preference
XLE vs SPY Energy Decoupling Commodity strength vs broad market
XLY vs XLP Consumer Sentiment Discretionary vs staples = confidence level
QQQ vs IWM Large vs Small Cap Flight to quality vs economic optimism
TLT vs SPY Bonds vs Stocks Risk-off safety vs risk-on equities
GLD vs SPY Gold vs Stocks Safe haven demand vs confidence
VWO vs VEA EM vs Developed Emerging market momentum vs stability
XLV vs XLK Defensive vs Growth Healthcare safety vs tech growth appetite
SMH vs XLK Semis vs Tech Semiconductor strength, AI momentum
KRE vs XLF Regional vs Major Banks Regional bank health vs flight to quality

Signal Strength Levels

Smart Watchlist v2

Intelligent tagging system for organizing and filtering your stock watchlists.

Tag Categories

Strategy Tags

Momentum, Value, Growth, Dividend, Swing Trade, Day Trade, Long-term Hold

Risk Tags

High Risk, Moderate Risk, Low Risk, Speculative, Blue Chip

Source Tags

AI Discovered, RSS Trending, Squeeze Candidate, SEC Alert, Earnings Play

Custom Tags

Create your own tags for personalized organization.

Features

Squeeze Scanner v2

Enhanced short squeeze detection with integrated real-time signals. Found under Tools > Squeeze Scanner.

AI API Key Required

AI-powered squeeze discovery from RSS feeds requires an OpenAI or Grok API key. Squeeze Score calculations and data display work without API keys. Configure your API keys in Account > API Keys.

Squeeze Score Components (6 Factors)

1. Dark Pool Activity

Real dark pool data integration - high activity suggests institutional interest.

2. Short Interest

Percentage of float sold short - higher indicates more squeeze potential.

3. Borrow Stress

Cost to borrow shares - elevated fees indicate supply constraint.

4. Options Flow

Call/put ratio and unusual options activity signaling directional bets.

5. Social Sentiment (SIS)

Integrated Social Interest Score from Reddit feeds.

6. Price Velocity

Rate of price change indicating momentum building.

AI Discovery Options

Dual AI Scan

Runs OpenAI and Grok in parallel simultaneously. Shows side-by-side results and highlights consensus picks where both AIs agree - higher confidence candidates.

OpenAI Only

Scan RSS feeds using OpenAI GPT-4o for squeeze candidate identification.

Grok Only

Scan RSS feeds using xAI's Grok for alternative AI perspective on squeeze candidates.

Consensus Detection

Dual scan highlights tickers found by both AIs with averaged confidence scores for higher conviction plays.

Squeeze Candidates Table Columns

EPS (Earnings Per Share)

Trailing 12-month earnings per share. Positive shown in green, negative in red.

52-Week Range

Visual progress bar showing current price position within 52-week low-high range. Hover for exact values.

Target (1-Year Estimate)

Analyst consensus target price with upside/downside percentage vs current price.

DIS (Derivative Impact Score)

Measures derivative market pressure (0-100) based on options activity and institutional flows.

Protection Features

Daily Briefing v3 (Matrix Intelligence)

AI-generated market intelligence report built from live GEF data. Operates in two modes: Classic (6 narrative sections) and Matrix Intelligence (reliability-scored signal table with dual-AI comparison). Found under Dashboard > Daily Briefing. Requires POWER_USER subscription or higher.

AI Integration Required

Generation uses OpenAI (gpt-4o-mini), Grok (grok-3), and Gemini (gemini-2.5-flash) in parallel. Both OpenAI and Grok run simultaneously for consensus analysis. Gemini provides a third-tier fallback. Configure API keys in Account > API Keys if needed.

Classic Mode — 6 AI Narrative Sections

Session Context

Broad market environment, current session status (pre-market / open / after-hours / closed), and macro backdrop for the day.

After-Hours / Pre-Market Action

Notable price movers and catalyst context outside regular trading hours, sourced from AfterHoursSnapshot data.

Dark Pool & Hidden Liquidity

Institutional dark pool signals — tickers with volume ratios above 30% over a 90-day lookback window.

Hedge Fund / Institutional Flow

Buy/sell pressure inferred from sector themes, narrative strength, and active market signals across all GEF data sources.

Wild-Card Risk & Opportunity

High-impact tail risks, black swan signals, and edge-case opportunities from geopolitics clusters and emerging market data.

Quick Takeaways

Actionable bullet-point summary of the most important signals for traders to investigate further — never a trade recommendation.

Derivative Pressure Highlights

A seventh panel loaded separately from /api/dis/high-pressure shows stocks with a DIS score ≥ 70, indicating elevated derivative market activity worth monitoring.

Matrix Intelligence Mode (v3)

Top Indicators Grid

Clickable cards showing Trending Tickers, Headline Density, Risk-On/Risk-Off score, and market snapshot metrics. Each card links to the relevant app section.

Briefing Matrix Table

Full signal reliability table with color-coded reliability bars (0–100%), freshness badges (hours since last update), and coverage metadata per data category.

AI Synthesis Panel

Side-by-side OpenAI and Grok output with confidence scores. A Consensus block appears when both providers agree. Disagreements are flagged explicitly.

Information Snapshots

Compact summary cards for News (article counts), Narratives (active themes), ETFs (risk mode, risk score), and FRED economic data (macro event count).

Data Sources (8 categories)

HeadlinesTop 10 articles from 116 RSS sources (last 24 hours)
Squeeze WatchTop 5 squeeze candidates with AI confidence ≥ 0.4
NarrativesActive market narratives with strength score ≥ 30
Emerging MarketsRecent regional highlights from EM Spotlight
After-Hours MoversLatest session price movers from AfterHoursSnapshot
Dark Pool ActivityTickers with >30% dark pool volume (90-day window)
GeopoliticsHigh-impact geopolitical event clusters
Market SnapshotsLatest broad market summary data

Caching & Generation

Briefings are generated on demand and cached for 4 hours. The status endpoint (/api/daily-briefing/status) shows cache expiry and AI provider availability without triggering a new generation.

PDF Export & Multi-Language Translation

The Daily Briefing can be exported as a professionally formatted PDF in 8 languages. Available on Power User and Elite plans.

Supported Languages

English, German, Spanish, Thai, Arabic, Farsi (Persian), Hindi, and Bengali. Translation uses formal register — the language of financial journalism and government publications, not casual equivalents.

Translation Engine

Rotates between OpenAI and Gemini per call for reliability. If the primary provider fails, the other takes over automatically. Each translation call is independent so a single section failure does not block the rest of the export.

Language Lock

Your language selection is locked for 24 hours per briefing date. This prevents repeated regeneration costs and ensures consistency if you download the same date's PDF more than once.

PDF Format

Rendered as a print-ready document with GEF branding, section headers, and the full Matrix Intelligence content. Downloaded directly — no email delivery required.

GEF AI Weekly Report Builder

A 10-section market intelligence report built automatically every Friday at 06:00 UTC by three AI providers running in parallel. Found under Dashboard > Weekly Report. Requires POWER_USER subscription or higher.

Triple AI Generation

OpenAI, Grok, and Gemini each generate every section in parallel via a ThreadPoolExecutor. Section 8 (AI Consensus) explicitly compares all three provider outputs. A Prompt Moderator system enforces data-grounding rules — no hallucination, no financial advice, data_unavailable sentinel returned when data is missing.

10 Report Sections

1. Executive Summary

High-level overview of the week's dominant market themes, key movers, and macro backdrop.

2. Market Posture

Risk-on vs risk-off assessment with ETF sector rotation signals and broad market positioning.

3. Key Signals

Top tickers from trending analysis, dark pool activity, squeeze candidates, and DIS scores.

4. Macro Intelligence

FRED economic indicator highlights, macro event impacts, and Fed/policy developments for the week.

5. ETF Sector Rotation

Capital flow signals across sector ETF pairs, risk mode scoring, and institutional positioning shifts.

6. Risk Radar

Geopolitical risks, earnings surprises, high-volatility signals, and tail risk events for the coming week.

7. Narrative Intelligence

Which of the 26 tracked market narratives gained momentum, decayed, or reversed during the week.

8. AI Consensus

Side-by-side comparison of OpenAI, Grok, and Gemini outputs. Highlights agreements and flags divergences.

9. Actionable Takeaways

Evidence-grounded observations for further research — clearly labeled as informational, not trading advice.

10. Short-Form Content (Admin)

TikTok hooks, Facebook summaries, X (Twitter) post snippets, and hashtags generated for content distribution (admin users only). Each snippet has a "Post to X" button to share directly to Twitter/X.

Schedule & Access

Dividend Tracker

An income-focused module for tracking dividend-paying stocks with safety scoring, calendar, screener, and alert functionality. Found under Watchlists > Dividend Tracker. Requires POWER_USER subscription or higher.

Dividend Safety Score (0–100)

Each stock receives a composite safety score built from 5 weighted components. Missing data triggers automatic weight redistribution so the score remains meaningful even with partial information.

Payout RatioHow much of earnings is paid as dividends — lower is safer
Dividend Growth HistoryConsecutive years of stable or increasing payments
Free Cash Flow CoverageWhether free cash flow supports the dividend payout
Debt-to-EquityLeverage level — high debt threatens future payments
Earnings StabilityConsistency of earnings over multiple periods

Key Features

Ex-Dividend Calendar

Upcoming ex-dividend dates grouped by week. Shows record date, payment date, yield, and safety score for each symbol.

Income Screener

Filter your watchlist by yield range, payout ratio, and safety score. Identify high-yield or Dividend Aristocrat candidates quickly.

Alert System

Four alert types: EX_DIV_UPCOMING (days before ex-date), PAY_UPCOMING (days before payment), CUT_RISK_SPIKE (safety score drop), and YIELD_CHANGE (significant yield movement).

Simulator Bridge

Import any dividend stock directly into the Research-First Trading Simulator as a research packet with one click from the company detail modal.

Default Watchlist

Eight system-default symbols are seeded for all users (no login required to view): JNJ, PG, KO, PEP, XOM, CVX, JPM, SCHD. These represent a cross-section of established dividend payers. Add your own symbols to build a personalized income watchlist.

StockTag Integration

Dividend Tracker symbols are tagged automatically: dividend_risk for low safety scores, and dividend_aristocrat for stocks with 25+ consecutive years of dividend growth — visible throughout the app wherever StockTags appear.

Data Refresh Schedule

Subscription Tiers v2

Golden Ears Finance uses a three-tier access model with centralized entitlement management. Tiers control which features are available, AI usage limits, and advanced functionality.

Tier Overview

Feature FREE POWER_USER ELITE
News Feed, Trending Tickers, Charts
Market Narratives & Dashboard
Dividend Tracker (default 8 symbols, view only) ✓ teaser ✓ full ✓ full
Daily Briefing (Classic + Matrix)
Weekly Report Builder
Dividend Tracker (full — calendar, screener, alerts, custom watchlist)
AI Budget (daily) Limited Standard Elevated
Research-First Trading Simulator

Legacy Access

v1 Subscribers

All legacy v1 subscribers retain full access to every feature regardless of tier. No action required — your access is preserved automatically.

Billing & Upgrades

Subscriptions are managed through Stripe. Upgrade or manage your plan from the Account > Subscription section. Stripe handles all payment processing — Golden Ears never stores card details.

AI Failover System

Golden Ears includes an intelligent AI provider management system that ensures AI-powered features remain available even when primary providers experience issues.

How It Works

Provider Priority

The system automatically tries providers in order: 1) Replit OpenAI integration, 2) Your own API keys, 3) Backup provider pool, 4) Cached responses.

Smart Caching

Recent AI responses are cached with feature-specific TTLs: Narratives (2h), Briefings (4h), Squeeze (1h), Breaking News (30min).

Automatic Failover

If the primary provider fails, the system seamlessly switches to the next available provider without interrupting your experience.

Graceful Degradation

When no live AI providers are available, the system serves cached data and displays a notification banner.

Provider Status

You can check the current AI provider status in Account > API Keys. The status shows:

Degraded Mode Banner

What Does "Degraded Mode" Mean?

When you see an orange banner at the top of the app indicating "AI features operating in degraded mode," it means:

  • Live AI providers are temporarily unavailable (rate limits, quota exceeded, or service issues)
  • The app is serving cached AI responses from recent scans
  • All non-AI features continue to work normally
  • You can add your own API keys in Account settings to restore full functionality

Adding Your Own API Keys

For the best experience, you can add your own API keys in Account > API Keys:

Your keys are stored securely in your session and never shared. Having your own keys ensures uninterrupted AI functionality.

Yahoo Finance Export

Export your watchlists as CSV files compatible with Yahoo Finance portfolio import.

Exportable Watchlists

How to Use

  1. Navigate to any watchlist section
  2. Click the "Export to Yahoo" button
  3. Save the downloaded CSV file
  4. In Yahoo Finance, go to My Portfolio > Import
  5. Upload the CSV to create a portfolio for external tracking

Tip: Performance Tracking

Use Yahoo Finance's portfolio features to track historical performance, compare against benchmarks, and see how your Golden Ears discoveries perform over time.

API Key Export & Import

Your OpenAI and Grok API keys can optionally be included in data exports for backup and transfer purposes.

Secure Key Storage

API keys are now stored encrypted in your user account using Fernet symmetric encryption. This means your keys persist across logins, browsers, and devices automatically. When you import a backup with API keys, they are encrypted and saved to your account for seamless access.

Exporting with API Keys

  1. Navigate to Account > Data Management
  2. Check the "Include API Keys in Backup" checkbox (orange highlight)
  3. Click View & Copy or Try Download
  4. A confirmation dialog will warn you about security implications
  5. Store the backup file securely - it contains your API keys in readable form

Importing with API Keys

  1. Navigate to Account > Data Management
  2. Select your backup file
  3. If the backup contains API keys, check "Restore API Keys from Backup"
  4. Click Import Data
  5. The import summary will confirm if API keys were restored
  6. Keys are saved to your account - they'll be available on any device you log into

What's Exported

  • OpenAI API Key (if configured)
  • Grok API Key (if configured)

Best Practices

  • Only include API keys when necessary for backup/transfer
  • Delete backups containing keys after restoring
  • Never upload key-containing backups to public storage

DIS Alerts System

The Derivative Impact Score (DIS) Alerts system notifies you when derivative market pressure on your watched stocks exceeds your specified thresholds.

How DIS Alerts Work

Set Custom Thresholds

Click any stock ticker to open its modal, then set a DIS threshold (40-100). You'll be alerted when the score crosses above your threshold.

Background Monitoring

The system checks DIS scores every 2 hours and 15 minutes. When scores exceed your thresholds, alerts are generated automatically.

12-Hour Cooldown

To prevent alert fatigue, each ticker has a 12-hour cooldown between alerts. You won't be spammed with repeated notifications.

Alerts Inbox

View all triggered alerts in the DIS Alerts panel. Unread alerts show a badge count. Mark as read or manage your alert rules easily.

DIS Score Components

Dark Pool Activity 25% weight Institutional trading volumes in dark pools
Social Interest Score 20% weight Reddit mention frequency and sentiment
Macro Event Sensitivity 15% weight Exposure to upcoming economic events
Earnings Proximity 15% weight Days until next earnings report
Squeeze Potential 15% weight Short interest and options flow signals
ETF Concentration 10% weight Weight across tracked ETF holdings

Step-by-Step: Setting Up DIS Alerts

  1. Find a Stock: Click any ticker in the Trending Tickers bar, Watchlist tables, or Short Interest Scanner
  2. Open the Stock Modal: The ticker modal will display the stock's current DIS score with a color-coded badge
  3. Locate the DIS Alert Section: Scroll down in the modal to find the "DIS Alert" section with the chart icon
  4. Enable the Alert: Check the "Enable" checkbox to activate alerts for this ticker
  5. Set Your Threshold: Enter a value between 40-100 (default is 80). You'll be alerted when the DIS score crosses above this level
  6. Save: Click the "Save" button to activate your alert rule

Step-by-Step: Managing Your Alerts

  1. Open the Alerts Panel: Navigate to the "Alerts" section in the left sidebar
  2. Find DIS Alerts Tab: Click the "DIS Alerts" tab to see your active rules and triggered alerts
  3. View Active Rules: The top section shows all your configured DIS alert rules with their thresholds
  4. Check Triggered Alerts: The bottom section shows alerts that have fired, with unread items highlighted
  5. Mark as Read: Click any alert event to mark it as read and open the stock modal
  6. Delete Rules: Click the trash icon next to any rule to remove it

Where to Find DIS Information

Trending Tickers Bar Top of page Click any ticker to see its DIS score in the modal popup
Undervalued Stocks Table Watchlists > Undervalued DIS column shows color-coded scores for each stock
Overvalued Stocks Table Watchlists > Overvalued DIS column shows color-coded scores for each stock
Short Interest Scanner Tools > Short Interest Scanner DIS column integrated with squeeze candidates, sortable
ETF Intelligence Tools > ETF Intelligence Average DIS displayed for ETF holdings analysis
Daily Briefing Intelligence > Daily Briefing "Derivative Pressure Highlights" section features high-DIS stocks
High Pressure Dashboard Dashboard widget Shows stocks with elevated DIS scores requiring attention
Ticker Modal Click any ticker Full DIS breakdown with alert configuration controls

Bonds & Fixed Income Intelligence

Golden Ears tracks bonds and fixed income markets using 10 dedicated RSS feeds from central banks and financial news sources. This module provides rate monitoring, topic classification, and yield curve analysis.

5 Bond Topic Classifications

Treasury

U.S. Treasury bonds and notes: auctions, yields, duration, and bid-to-cover ratios. Includes all maturity buckets from 3-month to 30-year.

Corporate

Corporate bond markets: credit spreads, issuance, defaults, investment grade vs high yield, and credit rating changes.

Central Bank

Federal Reserve (Fed), European Central Bank (ECB), and Bank of England (BoE) policy decisions, rate expectations, and forward guidance.

Inflation

Consumer Price Index (CPI), Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE), inflation expectations, real yields, and Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS).

Yield Curve

Curve shape analysis, spread inversion detection, recession indicators, and term premium monitoring.

FRED Integration

Optional integration with Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) provides real-time Treasury yields and spreads. When FRED is unavailable, the module operates in news-only mode using headline classification.

Yield Curve Inversion Alerts

Spread Inversion Detection

When the 10Y-2Y or 10Y-3M Treasury spread turns negative (inverted), Golden Ears surfaces this as a warning. Historically, yield curve inversions have preceded recessions, though timing varies significantly.

Remember: This is informational context, not a trading signal. Inversions can persist for extended periods before any economic impact materializes.

Data Sources

Bond news is aggregated from: Federal Reserve releases, U.S. Treasury press, Reuters Bonds, FT Bonds, Bond Buyer, European Central Bank, Bank of England, and Investing.com Fixed Income.

Geopolitics Intelligence

The Geopolitics module scans RSS feeds for global instability signals—military actions, sanctions, civil unrest, and diplomatic developments—that may impact financial markets.

Signal Categories

Military & Conflict

Armed conflicts, military exercises, defense posturing, and territorial disputes that may affect commodity prices, defense stocks, or regional markets.

Sanctions & Trade

Economic sanctions, trade restrictions, tariffs, and export controls that may disrupt supply chains or affect specific sectors.

Civil Unrest

Protests, strikes, political instability, and social movements that may impact regional economies or specific industries.

Diplomatic Developments

Treaty negotiations, summit outcomes, alliance changes, and international agreements that may shift market sentiment.

Market Impact Analysis

AI analysis attempts to link geopolitical events to potential market implications. These connections are speculative and provided for informational context only—not as trading recommendations.

Interpretation Caution

Geopolitical events are inherently unpredictable in their market effects. A seemingly significant event may have minimal market impact, while a minor development may trigger outsized reactions. Use this module for awareness, not prediction.

Speculative Lab

An experimental module for tracking high-volatility, early-stage signals. Speculative Lab surfaces stocks showing unusual activity patterns before they reach mainstream coverage.

High-Risk Environment

Speculative Lab candidates carry elevated risk. These are early signals, not recommendations. Many candidates will not develop into significant moves. Use extreme caution and never risk capital you cannot afford to lose.

Event-First Scoring Model (v1)

Speculative Lab uses an event-first scoring approach that prioritizes the type of catalyst over pure velocity metrics. This helps surface meaningful signals earlier, before news velocity spikes.

Event Impact 30% weight Based on event type: halt (95), M&A (90), regulatory (85), earnings (80), guidance (80), offering (70), insider (65), other (40)
Volume Confirmation 20% weight Unusual volume ratio compared to historical average
News Velocity 15% weight Deduplicated article count in the last 24 hours
Novelty 15% weight How new the story is—higher scores for first-mover coverage
Source Diversity 10% weight Number of independent sources covering the story
Recency 5% weight Time since most recent article publication
Short Interest 5% weight Elevated short interest indicating potential squeeze setup

Event Classification

The system automatically classifies news into 8 event types, each with a baseline impact score:

Trading Halts (95)

Exchange-initiated trading halts signal imminent material news.

M&A Activity (90)

Merger, acquisition, or buyout announcements.

Regulatory Events (85)

FDA decisions, SEC actions, or other regulatory catalysts.

Earnings Reports (80)

Quarterly or annual earnings releases and surprises.

Guidance Changes (80)

Forward guidance updates from company management.

Offerings (70)

Secondary offerings, dilution events, or capital raises.

Insider Activity (65)

Notable insider buying or selling patterns.

Other Events (40)

General news without a specific high-impact catalyst.

Manipulation Protection

Speculative Lab includes built-in safeguards against pump-and-dump schemes:

How to Use

  1. Review Candidates: Browse the ticker list to see stocks meeting the score threshold
  2. Check Event Type: Higher-impact events (halt, M&A, regulatory) deserve more attention
  3. Verify Volume: Confirm unusual volume supports the news catalyst
  4. Read AI Summary: The AI analysis provides context and risk assessment
  5. Add to Picks: Track interesting candidates in your personal picks list

Remember

Speculative Lab signals are for research and education only. High scores indicate unusual activity patterns—not quality or certainty. Always conduct your own due diligence and consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Backend API Reference

These endpoints power the narrative engine and regional analysis features.

Method Endpoint Description
GET /api/narratives Get all active narratives with regional coverage data
GET /api/narratives/regional-heatmap Get regional heatmap data with weighted scores
POST /api/narratives/scan Trigger manual narrative scan with regional tracking
GET /api/narratives/{id} Get detailed narrative with regional breakdown
GET /api/feed-sources Get all RSS feeds with region weights and display names
GET /api/articles/history Get historical articles filtered by region
GET /api/watchlist/emerging-markets Get all EM Spotlight narratives across 15 regions
GET /api/watchlist/emerging-markets/{region} Get detailed narrative for a specific region
POST /api/watchlist/emerging-markets/scan Trigger manual EM Spotlight scan for all regions

Narrative Strength Calculation

The narrative strength score (0-100) is calculated using the following formula:

Education Center

Golden Ears Finance is designed to sharpen market understanding, not to tell users what to trade. This Education Center explains concepts, methodology, and interpretation—content that remains valid over time.

Core Philosophy (GEF Core Directive)

Signal > Noise | Explanation > Prediction | Restraint > Hype

All AI outputs are governed by the GEF Core Analytical Directive: factual, neutral, professional tone with explicit grounding in provided data. No hype, no predictions, no financial advice.

Topic 1: What Golden Ears Finance Is (and Is Not)

GEF IS:

  • A market intelligence aggregator that surfaces trending stocks from 116+ global news sources
  • An explanation engine that helps you understand why markets are moving
  • A signal filter that reduces noise and highlights what experienced analysts watch
  • An educational platform for developing market awareness

GEF IS NOT:

  • A trading platform or brokerage
  • A buy/sell signal service
  • A prediction engine for price targets
  • Financial advice (we are not registered investment advisors)

Bottom line: We explain; we don't recommend.

Topic 2: How to Read the Daily Brief

The Intelligence Briefing is a multi-layer summary generated twice daily (7am & 2pm UTC). It aggregates data from multiple independent systems:

  • Briefing Matrix: Cross-references RSS, FRED macro, SEC filings, dark pool flows, and narratives
  • Reliability Scoring: Each data point is scored by source quality, recency, and cross-confirmation
  • Dual AI Synthesis: Two AI providers analyze independently, then consensus is built
  • Evidence Links: Every claim links back to source data—no black boxes

How to interpret:

  • High-reliability items = multiple independent sources agree
  • Medium-reliability = developing story, monitor for confirmation
  • Low-reliability = early signal or single-source, treat as hypothesis

Tip: Start with the Executive Summary, then drill into sectors of interest.

Topic 3: What "Confidence" Means in GEF

Confidence in GEF measures data quality and agreement, not prediction accuracy. It answers: "How reliable is this analysis based on available evidence?"

Confidence is based on:

  • Source Count: More independent sources = higher confidence
  • Source Quality Tier: Tier-1 sources (Reuters, Bloomberg) weight more than Tier-3
  • AI Agreement: When multiple AI providers reach similar conclusions
  • Data Recency: Fresh data weighs more than stale data
  • Cross-Signal Alignment: Multiple independent systems pointing same direction

Confidence is NOT:

  • A prediction of future price movement
  • A probability that a stock will go up or down
  • Investment advice quality score

Key insight: High confidence means "well-supported by data," not "guaranteed to happen."

Topic 5: Macro & Geopolitics: How Transmission Works

Economic and geopolitical events don't move markets directly—they transmit through channels:

Macro Transmission Chain:

  • FRED data releases (employment, inflation, GDP) → Fed policy expectations
  • Fed expectations → Interest rates, yield curves
  • Rates → Sector rotation (growth vs value, tech vs utilities)
  • Sector rotation → Individual stock narratives

Geopolitical Transmission Chain:

  • Events (conflicts, sanctions, elections) → Risk sentiment
  • Risk sentiment → Safe haven flows (gold, bonds, USD)
  • Currency moves → Emerging market stress, export competitiveness
  • Supply chain impacts → Sector-specific effects

Why this matters: Understanding transmission helps you interpret why a narrative is forming, not just that it exists.

Topic 6: Why GEF Avoids Predictions and Buy/Sell Advice

GEF deliberately does not provide price predictions or buy/sell recommendations. Here's why:

  • Markets are not predictable: Short-term price movements are dominated by noise, not signal
  • Predictions create false confidence: Users act on predictions without understanding the underlying data
  • Context matters: Your risk tolerance, time horizon, and portfolio differ from others
  • Regulatory compliance: Investment advice requires registration and fiduciary duty

What we provide instead:

  • Data aggregation from multiple independent sources
  • Explanation of why attention is focused on certain stocks/themes
  • Tools to form your own informed view

Philosophy: An informed user with good data will make better decisions than one following predictions.

Topic 7: Understanding Narrative Lifecycles

Market narratives follow predictable lifecycle stages. Recognizing where a narrative sits helps calibrate expectations:

Stage Characteristics Signal
Emergence Few sources, early mentions, low momentum Watch—may develop or fade
Acceleration Growing source count, rising momentum, cross-region spread Active narrative gaining traction
Peak Maximum coverage, high AI confidence, broad awareness Mature narrative—may be crowded
Decay Declining mentions, fading momentum, new narratives emerging Story is aging—attention shifting

Key insight: Peak narratives often correlate with peak crowding. Early narratives carry more uncertainty but less crowding.

Topic 8: Interpreting Risk Without Forecasting

GEF surfaces risk indicators without predicting outcomes. Here's how to interpret risk language:

Risk Level Indicators:

  • Low Risk: Standard market conditions, no unusual signals
  • Medium Risk: Elevated volatility or developing uncertainty
  • High Risk: Multiple stress indicators, significant uncertainty
  • Elevated Risk: Active crisis conditions requiring attention

What risk levels mean:

  • They describe current conditions, not future predictions
  • High risk doesn't mean "will go down"—it means "uncertainty is elevated"
  • Risk can remain elevated for extended periods
  • Risk assessments update as new data arrives

Remember: Risk describes the environment, not the outcome.

Topic 9: Source Matrix & Data Trust

Not all data sources are equal. GEF enforces a Source Matrix that classifies every data source into trust tiers, preventing low-quality scraped data from dominating rankings or creating false signals.

The Three Trust Tiers:

Tier Examples Max Score Can Create?
Tier 1 SEC filings, regulatory disclosures 100% Yes
Tier 2 Exchange notices, official feeds 60% With Tier 1 corroboration
Tier 3 Scraped calendars, media listings 10% Never

Why this matters:

  • Scraped data can't dominate: Tier 3 sources are capped at 10% of total score contribution
  • Entity creation is restricted: Only Tier 1 (authoritative) sources can create new IPO candidates, stocks, or narratives
  • Transparency is built in: Every score shows its source tier breakdown so you know what's driving the signal
  • Corroboration is required: Tier 2 sources need Tier 1 confirmation within 30 days to affect entity status

Key insight: This system ensures that GEF rankings reflect authoritative data, not social media hype or scraped calendar entries.


Original Modules (Advanced)

Module A: The Golden Ears Method

A framework for filtering financial noise and focusing on what matters: understanding why markets move, not predicting where they will go.

Key: Not a trading system or signal service.

Module B: Facts vs Interpretation

Every piece of market information contains two layers: the raw fact and the interpretation applied to it.

Key: The same fact can support opposite interpretations.

Module C: Signal Strength & Severity

Signal strength is influenced by: source count, source diversity, recency, and AI confidence. Severity: High=confirmed/active, Medium=developing, Low=background.

Key: Triple AI agreement + source quality tiers.

Module D: Narrative Formation

Markets move on narratives—stories connecting data into themes across 26 categories with momentum tracking and cross-correlation detection.

Key: Momentum -100 to +100, source quality tiers.

Module E: Confirmation vs Contradiction

Markets rarely provide unanimous signals. Embrace contradiction as information about where debate is active.

Key: Low contradiction may indicate crowding.

Module F: Timing and Signal Decay

Information has a half-life. Breaking news decays in hours; macro themes persist for weeks or months.

Key: Structural narratives have multi-month relevance.

Module 7: Common User Errors

Cognitive biases that distort interpretation: confirmation bias, recency bias, and action bias.

Key: Wait for clarity before acting.

Module 8: Using Alerts Responsibly

Alerts surface important information quickly—but an alert is an invitation to investigate, not a call to trade.

Key: Best response is "investigate further."

Module 9: Data Freshness and Sources

Value depends on when information was published and how many independent sources confirm it.

Key: Fresh + diverse = higher confidence.

Module 10: High-Volatility Signals

Early-stage signals carry elevated uncertainty. Event type matters more than volume spikes—a trading halt with low volume is more significant than high volume with no catalyst.

Key: Early ≠ Better. Most speculative signals never materialize.

Module 11: Geopolitical Risk Analysis

Understanding how military operations, sanctions, civil unrest, and energy supply disruptions transmit to financial markets. Markets react to geopolitical events through predictable channels.

Key: Identify transmission paths: oil/gas, defense contractors, emerging market currencies, sovereign credit, and commodity supply chains.

Module 12: Research-First Trading Simulator

The simulator teaches disciplined research before every simulated trade using a 6-step gate workflow. It reinforces the GEF philosophy: understand before acting.

Key: Complete all 6 research gates to unlock trading. The Process Score rewards thoroughness, not speed.

Module 13: Swing Intel & Range Expansion

How to read Swing Score (range position, volume, volatility compression, momentum, sector tailwind) and Institutional Conviction Score (source credibility, coverage depth, freshness, AI agreement). What the 7 semantic tiers mean and how cross-channel validation separates genuine setups from noise.

Key: A high Swing Score is a structural condition signal, not a trade trigger. Combine with your own research.

Module 14: Pattern Intelligence (Bull Candle)

How bull flag patterns form, what the 5 structural scoring factors measure (pole strength, consolidation depth, volume signature, breakout proximity, sector alignment), and how to read the Grok AI narrative without treating it as a trade signal.

Key: Pattern detection is deterministic; AI interpretation is contextual. A high-scoring setup still requires fundamental validation.

Topic 10: Research-First Trading Simulator

The Trading Simulator is an education-focused practice environment that enforces disciplined research before every simulated trade. No real money is involved.

How it works:

  1. Create a Simulator Account — Set a name, starting cash ($1K–$10M), and mode (Beginner or Standard)
  2. Start a Research Packet — Enter a stock or ETF symbol to begin research
  3. Complete 6 Research Gates:
    • Narrative: Why are you interested? (Use the Narratives Dashboard)
    • Market Snapshot: Auto-captured live market data with timestamp
    • Source Review: Confirm you reviewed news sources (Check the News Feed, 116+ sources)
    • Stress Test: Review structural analysis (Use DIS, FRED Macro, Bonds)
    • Invalidation Triggers: Define 2–3 conditions that would disprove your thesis
    • Risk Acknowledgement: Confirm you understand this is a simulation
  4. Place Simulated Orders — Market or Limit orders with position sizing rules
  5. Monitor Portfolio — Track equity curve, P&L, drawdown, and exposure

Key Metrics:

  • Process Score (0–100): Measures research thoroughness across all 6 gates
  • Equity: Total portfolio value (cash + positions at market price)
  • Drawdown: Worst decline from peak equity — measures risk exposure
  • Exposure %: Percentage of portfolio allocated to positions

Modes:

  • Beginner: Max 20% per position, 5 trades/day, no shorting or leverage
  • Standard: Wider limits for users with more experience

Philosophy: The simulator exists to build the habit of research-first decision making. Speed is not rewarded — discipline is. Access the full guide from the Simulator tab using the "How-To Guide" button.

Topic 11: Swing Intel & Range Expansion Signals

Swing Intel identifies equities showing structural conditions historically associated with 52-week range expansion. It does not predict breakouts — it surfaces setups worth additional research.

Two independent scores per ticker:

Swing Score (0–100)Measures technical setup quality: 52-week range position (high = near highs), volume trend, volatility compression (tighter range = higher score), price momentum, and sector tailwind. A score above 70 indicates strong structural alignment across multiple factors.
Institutional Conviction Score (0–100)Measures information quality: source credibility tier, coverage depth (how many independent sources), freshness (recency decay), and AI provider agreement rate. High conviction means the signal is well-supported by quality data, not just volume of mentions.

7 Semantic Tiers (from highest to lowest):

  1. High Conviction — Both scores above 80; strong setup with quality data support
  2. Institutional Accumulation — High ICS, moderate Swing; data quality leads structure
  3. Emerging Intel — Rising coverage with early structural signs; watch closely
  4. Volatility Expansion — Compression breaking out; direction uncertain
  5. Sector Momentum — Sector tailwind is primary driver; individual setup is secondary
  6. Narrative Expansion — Theme-driven coverage; structural factors are weak
  7. Watchlist — Below thresholds on both; surface level monitoring only

How to use it: Sort by Swing Score to find structural setups. Use ICS to filter for well-supported signals. Cross-validate any candidate against the News Feed, Narratives, and DIS before treating it as research-worthy.

What it is not: Swing Intel is not a buy signal list. A tier-1 result means the system has found structural conditions and quality data — it does not mean the stock will move. You still need a thesis, a risk plan, and your own research.

Topic 12: Pattern Intelligence — Reading Bull Flag Setups

Pattern Intelligence (Bull Candle) detects bull flag chart patterns using deterministic scoring. A bull flag is a consolidation period following a sharp trending move — the "pole" is the initial surge, the "flag" is the pullback or sideways drift before potential continuation.

The 5 structural scoring factors:

Pole StrengthThe magnitude and speed of the initial trending move. A stronger pole with clear institutional volume scores higher than a slow drift upward.
Consolidation DepthHow orderly the pullback is. Shallow, tight consolidation (flag stays within 30–40% of the pole's range) scores higher than deep or erratic pullbacks.
Volume SignatureVolume should expand on the pole and contract during consolidation. This pattern — high on the thrust, low on the rest — is the textbook bull flag volume structure.
Breakout ProximityHow close the price is to the top of the flag channel. Setups near resistance are flagged as "breakout ready"; those in early consolidation are "developing."
Sector AlignmentWhether the broader sector is in trend or neutral. A bull flag in an uptrending sector has higher follow-through potential than one in a weak or declining sector.

AI Narrative (Grok): Each candidate receives a generated setup narrative explaining why the pattern scored as it did and what conditions would confirm or invalidate the setup. Read the narrative as context — not as a recommendation.

Scan schedule: The pattern engine runs every 4 hours during trading hours. Alerts fire for High Conviction setups (score ≥ 80) and appear in the Pattern Alerts bell icon at the top of the section.

Key interpretation rule: A high-scoring bull flag means the price structure is clean and the setup is technically sound at the moment of the scan. It does not mean the breakout will occur. False breakouts are common, especially in low-liquidity stocks. Always validate volume, news catalysts, and macro context before treating any pattern as actionable.

Important Notice

For informational purposes only. Not investment advice. Golden Ears Finance does not provide trading recommendations, price targets, or financial guidance. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Swing Intel

Swing Intel identifies equities showing structural conditions associated with 52-week range expansion. It is a dual-scoring intelligence module — not a signal service. Found under Tools > Swing Intel.

Swing Score (0–100)

Measures technical setup quality across 5 components: 52-week range position, volume trend relative to average, volatility compression (Bollinger Band width), price momentum (RSI-based), and sector tailwind (ETF proxy performance). Each component is independently normalized before combining.

Institutional Conviction Score (0–100)

Measures information quality: source credibility tier (Tier 1 = authoritative, Tier 2 = mainstream, Tier 3 = scraped), coverage depth (number of independent sources), freshness (recency-weighted decay), and AI provider agreement rate (OpenAI + Grok + Gemini consensus).

7 Semantic Tiers

High Conviction → Institutional Accumulation → Emerging Intel → Volatility Expansion → Sector Momentum → Narrative Expansion → Watchlist. Tiers are assigned from the combined score matrix — both axes must be strong for the highest tiers.

Discovery Channel Validation

Each candidate is cross-validated across discovery channels: RSS feed mentions, DIS scoring, dark pool activity, and narrative strength. The more channels independently agree on a ticker, the more reliable the signal.

On-Demand Per-Ticker Scoring

Enter any ticker symbol to run an immediate Swing Intel score. Useful for validating a ticker you found through another channel — the system will compute both scores in real time using live market data.

Scan Schedule

Full candidate list is refreshed on a scheduled basis. The refresh timestamp shown on each result indicates when the data was last computed. Sort by Swing Score, ICS, or tier to prioritize your review queue.

How to Use Swing Intel Effectively

Step 1Sort by Swing Score ≥ 70 to find structurally aligned setups
Step 2Filter for ICS ≥ 65 to ensure the signal is well-supported by quality sources
Step 3Check the discovery channels — does the ticker also appear in DIS, Dark Pool, or Narratives?
Step 4Cross-reference against the News Feed for any recent catalysts or adverse news
Step 5Use the Research-First Simulator to build a structured thesis before any simulated trade

Entitlement

Swing Intel is available to Power User and Elite subscribers. Free users can see the module exists but cannot access candidate lists or per-ticker scoring.

Pattern Intelligence (Bull Candle)

Institutional-grade bull flag pattern detection with deterministic scoring and Grok AI narrative interpretation. Found under Tools > Bull Candle. Scans run automatically every 4 hours.

What Is a Bull Flag?

A bull flag is a chart pattern consisting of a sharp upward move (the "pole") followed by a brief consolidation (the "flag") before potential continuation. The consolidation should be orderly: tight range, declining volume, and contained depth relative to the pole.

Pattern Score (0–100)

5 structural factors scored independently: pole strength, consolidation depth, volume signature (high on pole, low on flag), breakout proximity, and sector alignment. Each factor contributes 20 points. Scores ≥ 80 are classified as High Conviction.

Grok AI Narrative

Each candidate receives a plain-language setup description from Grok identifying what makes the pattern notable, what the volume structure indicates, and what conditions would confirm or invalidate the setup. This is context — not advice.

Pattern Alerts

The alert bell at the top of the Bull Candle section fires for High Conviction setups detected in the latest scan. Alerts include the ticker, score, and time of detection. Click to review the full candidate card. Dismiss individually or all at once.

Scan Frequency

The pattern engine scans every 4 hours. Each scan evaluates the current candidate pool against fresh price and volume data. Candidates that no longer meet the structural threshold are removed. New ones are added as conditions evolve.

Admin-Only Scan Trigger

A "Run Scan" button is visible only to admin users, allowing on-demand scans outside the scheduled 4-hour cycle. Standard users see results from the most recent scheduled scan.

Interpreting Results

What a High Score Means — and What It Doesn't

A score of 90/100 means the price structure is technically clean at the time of the scan: the pole was strong, the consolidation is orderly, volume behaved correctly, and the sector is supportive. It does not mean the stock will break out. False breakouts occur frequently, particularly in lower-liquidity names.

Before treating any Pattern Intelligence result as research-worthy, validate: Is there a fundamental catalyst? What does the News Feed show for this ticker? What is the DIS score? Is the broader market in a risk-on or risk-off posture? Pattern structure is one input — not a complete thesis.

T-Bill Intelligence

Live Treasury Bill rate cards, yield curve visualization, investment return calculator, and upcoming auction calendar. Data sourced from the FRED API (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and the US Treasury FiscalData API. Found under Fixed Income > T-Bills. Available to Power User and Elite subscribers.

Live Rate Cards

Current yields for 5 maturities: 4-Week (DTB4WK), 8-Week, 13-Week (DTB3), 26-Week (DTB6), and 52-Week (DTB1YR). Sourced from FRED and refreshed every 30 minutes. Each card shows the maturity, current yield, and day-over-day change.

Yield Curve Snapshot

Canvas-rendered chart showing the current shape of the short-end T-Bill yield curve across all 5 maturities. A normal (upward-sloping) curve means longer maturities pay more. Inversion — where shorter maturities yield more than longer ones — is a historically significant signal worth monitoring.

Historical Trend Chart

90-day rolling trend lines for each maturity, showing how rates have moved over the past 3 months. Useful for understanding whether rates are rising, falling, or stabilizing across the short end of the curve.

Investment Return Calculator

Enter a principal amount and select a maturity. The calculator shows the estimated interest earned and total return at maturity, annualized and for the actual term. Useful for comparing T-Bill yields against other short-term alternatives.

Auction Calendar

Upcoming T-Bill auction dates and recent auction results. Includes settlement dates, announced amounts, and historical stop-out rates from the Treasury FiscalData API. Auctions run weekly for most maturities.

AI Market Analysis

AI-generated commentary on the current T-Bill rate environment: what the yield levels suggest about Federal Reserve expectations, how they compare to historical averages, and what the curve shape implies for near-term monetary policy.

Understanding T-Bill Mechanics

Discount pricingT-Bills are sold at a discount to face value and mature at par. The difference is your return. A 5% 13-week bill on $10,000 earns approximately $125 over the 13-week term.
Auction processThe Treasury sells T-Bills weekly via competitive and non-competitive bids. Non-competitive bidders accept whatever yield clears the auction — the "stop-out rate."
Secondary marketT-Bills trade in the secondary market between auctions. GEF shows primary market (FRED) rates, which reflect auction yields, not secondary market pricing.
Risk profileT-Bills are backed by the full faith and credit of the US government and are considered the closest proxy to a risk-free rate. They carry no default risk but are subject to reinvestment risk when rates fall.
Rate cacheFRED data is cached for 30 minutes. Rates shown are current as of the last cache refresh — the timestamp is visible on each rate card.

RSS Feed Sources (116 Feeds)

US Markets (18 feeds)

Yahoo Finance, CNBC, MarketWatch, Nasdaq, NYSE, Seeking Alpha, Barron's, Benzinga, Reddit subs

Europe (11 feeds)

ECB, BBC Business, EuroNews, The Guardian, City A.M., STOXX indices

Asia (10 feeds)

Nikkei Asia, SCMP, China Daily, Economic Times India, HKEX News

Middle East (3 feeds)

Gulf News Business, Al Jazeera Business, Arab News

Oceania (2 feeds)

Australian Financial Review, ABC Australia Business

Latin America (3 feeds)

LatinFinance, Buenos Aires Times, MercoPress

Africa (3 feeds)

Business Daily Africa, AllAfrica Business, Moneyweb SA

Global (7 feeds)

Reuters, Bloomberg, Financial Times (multiple feeds), Capital.com

RSS Ticker Discovery

RSS Ticker Discovery is GEF's mechanism for finding stock tickers that are appearing in financial news but have not yet been added to GEF's tracking whitelist. The 116+ RSS sources ingested daily frequently cover companies before they reach mainstream screeners — this tool surfaces those early signals.

What This Tool Does

It scans every article title ingested in the last 4 hours, extracts uppercase letter sequences that match the shape of a ticker symbol, filters out noise, and ranks whatever remains by how many distinct RSS feeds mentioned it. Candidates that clear the minimum feed threshold are presented for your review. You decide which ones deserve a permanent place in GEF's tracking pipeline.

How the Scan Works — Step by Step

Step 1 — Title sweep Every article title fetched in the last 4 hours is scanned using a broad pattern that matches 2–5 uppercase letters (the standard shape of a US equity ticker). This deliberately casts a wide net.
Step 2 — Noise filtering A curated exclusion list strips common English words (THE, AND, FOR…), financial acronyms (CEO, ETF, IPO, GDP, USA, FED…), country codes, and other false-positive sources. This list has over 200 entries refined over time.
Step 3 — Known-ticker exclusion Any token already present in GEF's whitelist (339 tracked tickers + all ETFs) is removed. Only genuinely unlisted candidates pass through.
Step 4 — Feed diversity threshold A candidate must appear in titles from at least 3 distinct RSS feed sources to qualify. Single-source noise (a publication's proprietary acronym, a column header, etc.) is filtered out automatically.
Step 5 — Scoring & ranking Score = (distinct feed count × 12) + (article count × 2), capped at 100. A candidate mentioned across 8 feeds in 15 articles scores higher than one in 3 feeds in 3 articles. Sorted by feed count first, then article count.
Step 6 — Sample headlines Up to 3 article titles containing the candidate are shown so you can judge context before deciding whether to add it.

Using Ticker Discovery

Scan Now

Click the Scan Now button to trigger a fresh analysis of the most recent article titles. The scan runs entirely from the database — no external HTTP calls — and typically completes in 1–3 seconds.

Review Candidates

Each result shows: the ticker token, feed count, article count, a score (0–100), and 1–3 sample headlines. Read the headlines first — they tell you whether this is a genuine company or a false positive (country code, abbreviation, etc.).

Add to Whitelist

Clicking Add runs a yfinance validation check to confirm the ticker is a real, tradeable security. If it passes, the ticker is added to GEF's live tracking. It will begin appearing in the trending bar and all downstream modules immediately. Requires POWER_USER+.

Remove a Ticker

Any ticker you added via Discovery can be removed from the Added Tickers tab. Removal takes effect immediately and the ticker exits GEF's tracking pipeline. Requires POWER_USER+.

Added Tickers Tab

Displays all tickers you have contributed to GEF's dynamic additions list. Use this to audit what you have added and remove anything that turned out to be incorrect or irrelevant.

⚡ NEW Badge

The same detection algorithm runs automatically inside the Trending engine every cycle. Unlisted tickers that clear the feed threshold appear in the trending ticker bar with an amber ⚡ NEW badge. Hover for the feed count. Click over to Ticker Discovery to review and add without running a manual scan.

Persistence & Scope

Tickers added through Discovery are stored in a persistent additions file (ticker_discovery_additions.txt) and loaded at application startup. They are treated as first-class members of the GEF whitelist for all purposes: trending scoring, narrative matching, DIS screening, and all other modules that consume the whitelist. Additions survive application restarts.

On GCP, this file persists for the lifetime of the instance. It does not survive a clean re-deploy unless the file is included in the deployment artifact. For durable production additions, the recommended path is to add tickers directly to services/ticker_lists.py via the COMMON_STOCK_TICKERS set.

What to Watch Out For

False Positives

The broad regex intentionally catches more than it should — that is what makes it sensitive enough to find genuine early coverage. Common false positives include:

  • Country or region codes — UK, EU, EM, GCC appearing in geopolitical articles
  • Report or index names — PMI, CPI, PCE, PPI used as abbreviations in macro coverage
  • Company divisions or product lines — A subsidiary abbreviation that is not an independently traded equity
  • Foreign tickers — A valid ticker on a non-US exchange that yfinance may still validate but is not practically tradeable in a US brokerage account

Always read the sample headlines before adding. The yfinance validation step confirms the ticker exists as a security — it does not confirm relevance, liquidity, or fit for your strategy.

Research-First Trading Simulator

An education-focused simulated trading environment with 9 isolated database tables and a mandatory 6-step research gate workflow. No real money is involved. Found under Tools > Trading Simulator.

Getting Started

Navigate to the Simulator tab and click "How-To Guide" for a full walkthrough. Create a simulator account with virtual cash ($1K–$10M) and choose Beginner or Standard mode.

6-Step Research Gates

Each trade requires: Narrative (why this stock?), Market Snapshot (auto-captured live data), Source Review (confirm you read the news), Stress Test (DIS/FRED/Bonds review), Invalidation Triggers (what would disprove the thesis?), and Risk Acknowledgement.

Squeeze Candidates Tab

Read-only bridge to production squeeze data. Browse live squeeze candidates and import any ticker directly into a new research packet with one click — no manual entry needed.

Sell Orders (3 Types)

Close positions with MARKET (instant fill), LIMIT (target price), or TRAILING (dynamic stop that follows price). Partial sells are supported. Trailing orders use a 15-second watcher scheduler.

Real-Time Price Refresh

Open positions refresh every 5 seconds via yfinance. Prices blink green on upward moves and red on downward moves for immediate visual momentum feedback.

Portfolio Monitoring

Track equity curve chart, cash balance, unrealized P&L, drawdown (worst peak-to-trough decline), and exposure percentage. Full order history with fill prices.

Using GEF Data for Research

The 6 research gates are designed to pull data from across the GEF platform:

Narrative gateNarratives Dashboard — 26 market themes
Market Snapshot gateAuto-captured live market data with timestamp
Source Review gateNews Feed — 116+ global sources
Stress Test gateDIS, FRED Macro, Bonds & Fixed Income
Invalidation gateUser-defined thesis conditions (2–3 required)
Risk gateSimulation-only confirmation

Feature Flags

Three simulator features are independently controllable via environment flags: SIM_ENABLE_SQUEEZE_TAB (Squeeze Candidates tab), SIM_ENABLE_TRAILING_ORDERS (TRAILING sell order type), and SIM_ENABLE_REALTIME_BLINK (real-time price polling and blink animations).

Version History