Method and apparatus of analyzing social network data to identify a financial market trend

1. A method comprising:

(a) determining, by at least one computing device and for a financial market instrument, a number of messages of a plurality of messages occurring during a time span and containing a reference to the financial market instrument, the plurality of messages including messages from at least one social networking service;

(b) determining, by the at least one computing device and for the financial market instrument, a time span average, the time span average being a ratio of the determined number of messages occurring during the time span and containing the financial market instrument reference over a number of time intervals into which the time span is divided;

(c) determining, by the at least one computing device and for the financial market instrument, a message count for a selected time interval of the time intervals, the selected time interval's message count indicating a number of the messages from the plurality of messages occurring during the selected time interval and containing the reference to the financial market instrument;

(d) determining, by the at least one computing device and for the financial market instrument, a percentage change using the selected time interval's message count and the time span average;

(e) comparing, by the at least one computing device, a plurality of percentage changes corresponding to a plurality of financial market instruments including the financial market instrument, wherein the comparing comprises selecting a set of financial market instruments, each of the selected financial market instruments having a greater percentage change than unselected ones of the plurality of financial market instruments; and

(f) making available, by the at least one computing device for presentation to one or more users, the financial market instrument reference of each of the selected financial market instruments.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

selecting a new set of financial market instruments, by the at least one computing device, comprising:

identifying a new time span by shifting the time span by a time increment; and

repeating (a) to (f) using an updated plurality of messages as the plurality of messages, the updated plurality of messages occurring during the new time span.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, by the at least one computing device and for each of the financial market instruments of the plurality of financial market instruments, a sentiment weighting using the messages occurring during the selected time interval and containing the reference to the financial market instrument, the percentage change being determined by further using the sentiment weighting.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the financial market instrument is a financial market index.

5. The method of claim 4 , the determining, for the financial market instrument, a percentage change further comprising determining, for the financial market index, a percentage change, the method further comprising:

determining a pricing associated with the financial market index using the percentage change determined for the financial market index.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, by at least one computing device and for a hyperlink, a number of the messages of the plurality of messages occurring during the time span and containing the hyperlink, the plurality of messages including messages from at least one social networking service;

determining, by the at least one computing device and for the hyperlink, a time span average, the time span average being a ratio of the determined number of messages occurring during the time span and containing the hyperlink over a number of time intervals into which the time span is divided;

determining, by the at least one computing device and for the hyperlink, a message count for a selected time interval of the time intervals, the selected time interval's message count indicating a number of the messages from the plurality of messages occurring during the selected time interval and containing the hyperlink;

determining, by the at least one computing device and for the hyperlink, a percentage change using the selected time interval's message count and the time span average;

comparing, by the at least one computing device, a plurality of percentage changes corresponding to a plurality of hyperlinks including the hyperlink, the comparing selecting a set of hyperlinks, each of the selected hyperlinks having a greater percentage change than unselected ones of the plurality of hyperlinks; and

making available, by the at least one computing device for presentation to one or more users, the selected hyperlinks.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the percentage change comprises a percentage increase.

8. A system comprising:

at least one computing device comprising one or more processors to execute and memory to store instructions to:

(a) determine, for a financial market instrument, a number of messages of a plurality of messages occurring during a time span and containing a reference to the financial market instrument, the plurality of messages including messages from at least one social networking service;

(b) determine, for the financial market instrument, a time span average, the time span average being a ratio of the determined number of messages occurring during the time span and containing the financial market instrument reference over a number of time intervals into which the time span is divided;

(c) determine, for the financial market instrument, a message count for a selected time interval of the time intervals, the selected the interval's message count indicating a number of the messages from the plurality of messages occurring during the selected time interval and containing the reference to the financial market instrument;

(d) determine, for the financial market instrument, a percentage change using the selected time interval's message count and the time span average;

(e) compare a plurality of percentage changes corresponding to a plurality of financial market instruments including the financial market instrument, wherein the comparing comprising selecting a set of financial market instruments, each of the selected financial market instruments having a greater percentage change than unselected ones of the plurality of financial market instruments; and

(f) make available, for presentation to one or more users, the financial market instrument reference of each of the selected financial market instruments.

9. The system of claim 8 , the at least one computing device comprising one or more processors to further execute and memory to further store instructions to:

select a new set of financial market instruments, comprising:

identifying a new time span by shifting the time span by a time increment; and

repeating (a) to (f) using an updated plurality of messages as the plurality of messages, the updated plurality of messages occurring during the new time span.

10. The system of claim 8 , the at least one computing device comprising one or more processors to further execute and memory to further store instructions to:

determine, for each of the financial market instruments of the plurality of financial market instruments, a sentiment weighting using the messages occurring during the selected time interval and containing the reference to the financial market instrument, the percentage change being determined by further using the sentiment weighting.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the financial market instrument is a financial market index.

12. The system of claim 11 , the instructions to determine, for the financial market instrument, a percentage change further comprising instructions to determine, for the financial market index, a percentage change, the-at least one computing device comprising one or more processors to further execute and memory to further store instructions to:

determine a pricing associated with the financial market index using the percentage change determined for the financial market index.

13. The system of claim 8 , the at least one computing device comprising one or more processors to further execute and memory to further store instructions to:

determine, for a hyperlink, a number of the messages of the plurality of messages occurring during the time span and containing the hyperlink, the plurality of messages including messages from at least one social networking service;

determine, for the hyperlink, a time span average, the time span average being a ratio of the determined number of messages occurring during the time span and containing the hyperlink over a number of time intervals into which the time span is divided;

determine, for the hyperlink, a message count for a selected time interval of the time intervals, the selected time interval's message count indicating a number of the messages from the plurality of messages occurring during the selected time interval and containing the hyperlink;

determine, for the hyperlink, a percentage change using the selected time interval's message count and the time span average;

compare a plurality of percentage changes corresponding to a plurality of hyperlinks including the hyperlink, the comparing selecting a set of hyperlinks, each of the selected hyperlinks having a greater percentage change than unselected ones of the plurality of hyperlinks; and

make available, for presentation to one or more users, the selected hyperlinks.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the percentage change comprises a percentage increase.

15. A computer readable non-transitory storage medium for tangibly storing thereon computer readable instructions that when executed cause at least one processor to:

(a) determine, for a financial market instrument, a number of messages of a plurality of messages occurring during a time span and containing a reference to the financial market instrument, the plurality of messages including messages from at least one social networking service;

(b) determine, for the financial market instrument, a time span average, the time span average being a ratio of the determined number of messages occurring during the time span and containing the financial market instrument reference over a number of time intervals into which the time span is divided;

(c) determine, for the financial market instrument, a message count for a selected time interval of the time intervals, the selected time interval's message count indicating a number of the messages from the plurality of messages occurring during the selected time interval and containing the reference to the financial market instrument;

(d) determine, for the financial market instrument, a percentage change using the selected time interval's message count and the time span average;

(e) compare a plurality of percentage changes corresponding to a plurality of financial market instruments including the financial market instrument, wherein the comparing comprising selecting a set of financial market instruments, each of the selected financial market instruments having a greater percentage change than unselected ones of the plurality of financial market instruments; and

(f) make available, for presentation to one or more users, the financial market instrument reference of each of the selected financial market instruments.

16. The computer readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 15 , the computer readable instructions that when executed further cause at least one processor to:

select a new set of financial market instruments, comprising:

identifying a new time span by shifting the time span by a time increment; and

repeating (a) to (f) using an updated plurality of messages as the plurality of messages, the updated plurality of messages occurring during the new time span.

17. The computer readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 15 , the computer readable instructions that when executed further cause at least one processor to:

determine, for each of the financial market instruments of the plurality of financial market instruments, a sentiment weighting using the messages occurring during the selected time interval and containing the reference to the financial market instrument, the percentage change being determined by further using the sentiment weighting.

18. The computer readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the financial market instrument is a financial market index.

19. The computer readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 18 , the instructions to determine, for the financial market instrument, a percentage change further comprising instructions to determine, for the financial market index, a percentage change, the computer readable instructions that when executed further cause at least one processor to:

determine a pricing associated with the financial market index using the percentage change determined for the financial market index.

20. The computer readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 15 , the computer readable instructions that when executed further cause at least one processor to:

determine, for a hyperlink, a number of the messages of the plurality of messages occurring during the time span and containing the hyperlink, the plurality of messages including messages from at least one social networking service;

determine, for the hyperlink, a time span average, the time span average being a ratio of the determined number of messages occurring during the time span and containing the hyperlink over a number of time intervals into which the time span is divided;

determine, for the hyperlink, a message count for a selected time interval of the time intervals, the selected time interval's message count indicating a number of the messages from the plurality of messages occurring during the selected time interval and containing the hyperlink;

determine, for the hyperlink, a percentage change using the selected time interval's message count and the time span average;

compare a plurality of percentage changes corresponding to a plurality of hyperlinks including the hyperlink, the comparing selecting a set of hyperlinks, each of the selected hyperlinks having a greater percentage change than unselected ones of the plurality of hyperlinks; and

make available, for presentation to one or more users, the selected hyperlinks.

21. The computer readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the percentage change comprises a percentage increase.