Finding stocks with the screener

Start broad, then narrow the universe

The screener is for finding candidates. A good screen should leave you with enough companies to compare, not one perfect-looking result that only survives because the filters were too narrow.

1. Pick a Quick Preset. Open Filters and start from Most Popular when you want a ready-made screen. Selecting the same preset again clears it.
2. Set Universe first. Use the Universe tab to control the basic market you are screening before adding quality or valuation constraints.
3. Add one thesis filter at a time. Move through Behavioral, Valuation, and Profitability tabs. Add one filter, review the result count, then decide whether another filter improves the list.
4. Open candidates, not conclusions. Use the results table to open stock reports. The screen only tells you what to research next; the stock page tells you whether the numbers hold up.

Know what each filter group is good for

Each tab answers a different question. Mixing them is useful, but only if you know what each filter is trying to remove.

• Universe filters define where to look, such as basic listing or company characteristics.
• Behavioral filters help surface patterns that may reflect market sentiment, momentum, or investor behavior.
• Valuation filters focus on price versus estimated value, including intrinsic value discount and margin of safety.
• Profitability filters help remove companies whose cheapness is not supported by returns, margins, or financial quality.

Avoid screens that accidentally hide good stocks

Every added filter removes companies. That can be useful, but it can also exclude good businesses because one metric is missing, temporarily depressed, or not meaningful for that industry.

• If the result list is empty, loosen the newest filter first instead of clearing everything.
• Do not combine strict valuation and strict quality filters until you know the market has enough candidates.
• Compare companies within similar industries when possible. A bank, software company, and biotech stock should not be judged by the same metric mix.