John McDowell

John McDowell

Trading Educator & Content Contributor

John McDowell is the Lead Content Strategist at TradingSim. His journey into day trading began in 2016 after conversations with a retired hedge fund manager. John is passionate about teaching and educating traders, curating content that helps others succeed in the stock market.

john@tradingsim.com

4 min read

What Is a Block Trade? [Updated July 2026]

Picture of John McDowell John McDowell: July 12, 2026

Key Takeaways

  • A block trade is an order of more than 10,000 shares or more than $200,000 in value, by NYSE and NASDAQ definitions.
  • Block trades execute away from public exchanges — through brokerage “block houses” or dark pools — to avoid moving...
Day Trading Basics Basics of Stock Trading Day Trading Terms
What Is a Block Trade? [Updated July 2026]

8 min read

Stock Halts and Circuit Breaker Halts Explained [Updated July 2026]

Picture of John McDowell John McDowell : July 12, 2026

Key Takeaways

  • A stock halt is a temporary suspension of trading in a stock, used by exchanges to curb extreme volatility and stabilize the market.
  • ...
Day Trading Basics Day Trading Day Trading Terms
Stock Halts and Circuit Breaker Halts Explained [Updated July 2026]

10 min read

Ethereum Proof of Work and Proof of Stake Explained [Updated July 2026]

Picture of John McDowell John McDowell : July 8, 2026

What is proof of work in crypto?

The Proof of Work consensus mechanism is the most widely used consensus algorithm in cryptocurrency today. This...

Crypto
Ethereum Proof of Work and Proof of Stake Explained [Updated July 2026]
penny stocks

11 min read

Penny Stocks Explained for Beginners [Updated June 2026]

Picture of John McDowell John McDowell : June 19, 2026

What are Penny Stocks?

Penny stocks refer to small companies that usually trade at low prices in the stock market, from a few pennies to $5 per...

Day Trading Penny Stocks
Penny Stocks Explained for Beginners [Updated June 2026]

4 min read

What Is Alpha in Trading? [Updated June 2026]

Picture of John McDowell John McDowell : June 7, 2026

Key Takeaways

  • Alpha measures the excess return a trader, strategy, or portfolio earns above (or below) a benchmark such as the S&P 500. (As of June...
Day Trading Basics Day Trading Terms
What Is Alpha in Trading? [Updated June 2026]

7 min read

What Is the Most Expensive Stock? [Updated June 2026]

Picture of John McDowell John McDowell : June 5, 2026

Key Takeaways (Updated June 2026)

  • As of June 2026, Berkshire Hathaway Class A (BRK.A) is the most expensive stock in the world, near $718,000 per...
Basics of Stock Trading berkshire hathaway stock
What Is the Most Expensive Stock? [Updated June 2026]

6 min read

Meme Stocks Explained for Beginners [Updated June 2026]

Picture of John McDowell John McDowell : June 5, 2026

What Are Meme Stocks?

Where were you in January of 2021 when the meme stock phenomenon first started with AMC and GameStop stocks? While these are...

Economic Analysis
Meme Stocks Explained for Beginners [Updated June 2026]
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