We Want To Be The Barometer Of Retail Investor Sentiments: Shiv Sharma, Stocktwits

You have seen Twitter. Here is Stocktwits which wants to be the public opinion platform for stock market traders, investors and analysts in India. Shiv Sharma, India Head of Stocktwits says it will become the most sought-after platform for those interested in the markets. Stocktwits allows users a suite of tools and features to track, analyze, and interpret stock prices, news, and crucial market data. Real-time alerts keep users abreast of pivotal developments, ensuring they stay ahead in the ever-evolving financial landscape. In an interview with BW, Sharma shared the plans for the platform. 

Will Ssebi allow a platform like Stocktwits to function in the age of mis-selling and price manipulation?
Sebi is a strong regulator and employs various measures to monitor bad actors in the Indian stock market. They have a sophisticated surveillance system that monitors market activities in real-time. This system detects any unusual trading patterns, insider trading, or price manipulation. When suspicious activities are identified, SEBI investigates and takes appropriate action. Its insider trading regulations and market surveillance and analysis is also very robust.

On the other hand, Stocktwits is an open platform. Our messages, which are posted by users, are publicly available to all logged-in and even logged-out users of our free-to-use platform. We also have strict moderation policies and actively block users and remove content as needed.

What is so unique about StockTwits? Is it a tool to shape public opinion in the stock markets or a measure of public sentiments? What is your USP?
Stocktwits has many use cases. At the core, our mission is to provide retail investors with access to information, tools, and data to improve investment decision-making. Our community also helps retail investors meet other like-minded investors and mentors. Lastly, our sentiment is a core use case that industry participants from retail investors to professional investors find useful. Over time, you’ll see us go deeper here.

What is the long-term plan behind a platform like Stocktwits?
Stocktwits is playing the long game in India. We’ve built a local team focused on community building, content creation, and ecosystem partnerships. Our mission is to make Stocktwits, the Dhadkan (heart beat) of the Indian stock market. We aim to be the hub for retail sentiment and empower retail investors with the social features, data, and tooling that supports retail investors of all experience levels.

Another aspect of our India vision is to increase the visibility of Sebi-registered investors. On Stocktwits, we want registered investors’ content to be easily discoverable for our users. Therefore, we verify Sebi-registered investors with our golden badge and feature their content both on Stocktwits and on our general social media platforms. One trend we’ve recently noticed is that many Sebi-registered investors are strong investment analysts, but lack strong content creation skills that stand out on social media. Our Community team works closely with Sebi-registered investors on the above to ensure their content reaches a wider audience on Stocktwits.

We also believe (and have seen from US markets) that investing is best learned via the apprenticeship model. It’s critical for retail investors to understand how professional investors navigate volatile markets. Thus, we’re always actively seeking marketing strategies and partnerships that increase exposure of our SEBI-registered investors.

What is the current reach of Stocktwits? How do you ensure that narrative is strictly linked to the markets?
Stocktwits today has over 8 million global users. We leverage best-in-class moderation tools to ensure the community remains focused on stock markets and sensitive material is immediately removed. Also, much of our global reach comes from our users’ ability to view conversations based on particular stocks which makes it easier to filter conversations.

What is your working arrangement with Corporates and brokers? Do you help in building a brand for advisors?
We do not have formal arrangements with corporates and brokers. Although, we welcome both on our platform and encourage them to add value to our community by sharing helpful data and insights - as they would on other platforms. You may also see us partner with brokerages and corporates on content and event initiatives that add value to our ecosystem of retail investors, both on and off Stocktwits.