What a screener does
A screener filters a large universe, such as the S&P 500 or Nasdaq 100, down to the handful of companies worth researching. It does not make decisions; it tells you where to look. Every name that passes still needs real research.
Filters versus scores
- Filters are pass or fail: "PEG below 1", "debt-to-equity below 1". Simple, but a company just over a line disappears.
- Scores rank every company on several metrics and add them up. Nothing disappears; the best rise to the top.
A four-pillar scoring model
One practical model scores six metrics in four equal pillars, 100 points in total:
| Pillar | Metrics | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Trailing growth | Revenue growth TTM 10, EPS growth TTM 15 | 25 |
| Forward growth | Revenue growth forward 10, EPS growth forward 15 | 25 |
| Valuation | Forward PEG | 25 |
| Balance sheet | Cash versus debt | 25 |
EPS gets more weight than revenue because earnings are what shareholders ultimately receive.
Scoring by percentile
Each metric is scored by where the company ranks within the list, not by a fixed cut-off. A percentile of 0.22 or lower earns nothing, 0.78 or higher earns full marks, and the points rise evenly in between:
points = 20 x (percentile - 0.22) / 0.56, clamped to 0 to 20, then scaled by the metric's weight.
Ranking against the list keeps the model fair in any market: in a year when every company grows slowly, the best of them still stand out. Missing data scores zero, and a negative P/E ranks worst on PEG.
For example, a PEG of 2.3 that lands at the 35th percentile of its list earns about 6 of the 25 valuation points.
Tiers
| Tier | Rank |
|---|---|
| S+ | Perfect score |
| S | Top 10% |
| A | Next 10% |
| B | 20% to 50% |
| C | 50% to 75% |
| F | Bottom 25% |
Using a screen well
- Screen for candidates, then research. Never buy from a screen alone.
- Re-run it each quarter as new results arrive.
- Look at why a company scores well: a high score from one extreme metric deserves suspicion.
For a free hands-on version, see the Finviz screener guide.
See also
- Finviz screener guide A step-by-step guide to screening for growing, fairly valued companies with the free Finviz stock screener, with suggested filters and columns.
- PEG ratio The PEG ratio divides the P/E by earnings growth, so it judges valuation and growth together. What the bands mean and how to use it.
- Revenue growth (TTM and forward) How to read revenue growth, the difference between trailing (TTM) and forward growth, what counts as strong, and the deceleration warning sign.
- Fundamentals checklist A one-page checklist for researching a stock: growth, profitability, balance sheet, valuation, moat and risks, with the metric to check for each.
Pages that link here: Building a research watchlist, Building your investing knowledge, Fundamental analysis, Growth, value and dividend investing, Systematic investing
Last updated September 30, 2026. Education only, not investment advice.