The first thing you should do when assembling a new toy is read the instructions. The same rule applies to investing. There’s one thing I always look at well before starting any analysis or research. It may seem funny to point to one significant data point… but I’ve learned this lesson the hard way too. What’s the one thing to look at before analyzing financials, reading about management, studying the industry, or researching valuations? I look at this one thing before I look at the value of the stock, or how it’s trading in the markets. The first thing I always check for is simply – REVENUE!