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    Fundamental filters

    Requires SuperAvailable on: Web · iOS · Android

    On this page

    Fundamental filters screen on what companies report in their quarterly (10-Q) and annual (10-K) filings: revenue, earnings, margins, debt, cash flow and the ratios built from them. They answer questions like "is return on equity above 15%?" or "is free cash flow higher than a year ago?".

    Stock filters read market data that changes every day, such as price and volume. Fundamentals change when a company files.

    Tour

    Ratios are decimals: 0.15 on the Return on Equity row means 15%.

    • Metric (Return on Equity): click it to pick another.
    • Period ((year), (quarter), (last quarter)): which filing the metric comes from. Click it to change the filing type and lag.
    • Condition: Greater than, Less than or equal, Range and the rest.
    • Target: Value tests a number. Fundamental tests another metric.
    • Value: the number to compare with.
    • within N quarters or years: how many recent filings to check. With 2, the rule only has to hold on one of the last two.
    • Distribution: where every company sits on this metric. Drag it to set the value. It hides when the target is another metric, and on narrow screens.
    • ⋯: Delete, Duplicate, Disable or Enable, and Reset to default.

    Create and configure

    1. Click + on a filter group (or Add filter in an empty group), then Fundamental filter. A row appears on net income.
    2. Click the metric. Search the list (Find fundamental…) or browse it by statement, and pick one.
    3. Click the period button. In Parameters, set Filing to Quarter or Year and set Lag, then save.
    4. Pick a condition and enter a value, then set within.
    5. Click Scan.

    Compare one metric with another

    Switch the target to another metric to ask "is this bigger than that?", including the same metric in an older filing. To find companies whose net income this quarter beats the same quarter last year:

    1. Add a Consolidated Net Income / (Loss) filter on Quarter filings and set the condition to Greater than.
    1. Click Value and pick Fundamental », then pick Consolidated Net Income / (Loss) again.
    2. Click the second period button. In Comparison options, set Filing to Quarter and Lag to 4, then save.

    Lag 4 on quarterly filings is four quarters back: the same quarter a year ago. On web, the comparison button shows the metric's short code, such as Netincome, once you pick it. Range can't compare with another metric.

    Reference

    Filing settings

    SettingWhat it doesDefault
    FilingQuarter reads the 10-Q, Year the 10-K.Quarter; Year for scores
    LagHow many filings back to read. 0 is the latest, 1 the one before.0
    withinHow many recent filings to check. The rule must hold on at least one of them.1

    Metric groups

    GroupWhat's in it
    Income statementRevenue, costs, operating income, net income and earnings per share.
    Balance sheetAssets, debt, cash, equity and retained earnings.
    Cash flowOperating, investing and financing cash flow, capital spending, free cash flow and dividends paid.
    Valuation and calculationsRatios and growth rates built from the statements: P/E, margins, return on equity, debt to equity, revenue growth.
    ScoresComposite scores from annual filings. Banks, insurers and REITs get no score and drop out of a score scan.

    Every metric, with what it measures, is in the Fundamental metrics reference.

    Growth fields come in two kinds. EPS Growth, Revenue Growth and the other plain "Growth" fields are annual growth rates. The Q/Q Growth fields compare with the quarter before, and most of them need Super Pro.

    Values

    Ratios and percentages are decimals. Type 0.15 for 15% and 0.5 for a debt-to-equity of 0.5. Dollar amounts are full numbers.

    Conditions

    Greater than, Greater than or equal, Less than, Less than or equal, Equal to, Not equal to and Range. Fundamentals have no crosses conditions.

    Plans

    FreeSuperSuper Pro
    Fundamental filtersNoThe common metricsEvery metric

    On Super, metrics that need Super Pro show a bolt and Super Pro in the list. Click one to see the upgrade.

    Recipes

    EPS acceleration

    Super plan

    Companies over $500M whose earnings growth is at least 10% and faster than last quarter's, with revenue growing too.

    Filters

    • Market cap>$500M
    • EPS growth≥10%
    • Revenue growth>5%

    Open the scan to see its other filters.

    How to use it

    Check the earnings date before you buy. The next report decides whether the acceleration holds.

    Open in scanrRun it from the API

    Free cash flow compounder

    Super plan

    Profitable companies whose free cash flow is positive and higher than the same quarter a year ago.

    Filters

    • Market cap>$200M
    • Free cash flow>$0
    • Profit margin≥10%

    Open the scan to see its other filters.

    How to use it

    Use it as a list of self-funding businesses, then rank them on valuation.

    Open in scanrRun it from the API

    Balance sheet fortress

    Super plan

    Profitable companies with a current ratio of 2 or more, little debt and a growing cash pile.

    Filters

    • Current ratio≥2
    • Debt / equity≤0.3
    • Profit margin>0%

    Open the scan to see its other filters.

    How to use it

    A defensive list for weak markets. Pair it with a trend filter to avoid stocks that are cheap for a reason.

    Open in scanrRun it from the API

    Magic formula

    Super Pro plan

    Companies over $100M that earn at least 15% on invested capital and trade at a P/E between 0 and 15.

    Filters

    • Market cap>$100M
    • Return on invested capital≥15%
    • P/E ratio>0
    • P/E ratio≤15
    How to use it

    The method is meant for a basket of stocks held for a year, not a single pick.

    Warning

    A low P/E can mean earnings are about to fall.

    Open in scanrRun it from the API

    Quick reference

    StyleRecipe or settingWhy
    Swing tradingEPS acceleration with Relative strength vs market≥80Earnings momentum the market has noticed.
    Position tradingFree cash flow compounderGrowing cash generation, which supports a long trend.
    InvestingMagic formula, Balance sheet fortressQuality at a fair price, and companies that can survive a downturn.

    Fundamentals change four times a year, so they add little to a day trade.

    Tips

    • Use within 2 to forgive one bad quarter. A company with one weak filing in an otherwise strong run still passes.
    • Compare a metric with itself at Lag 4 on quarterly filings to strip out seasonality. A retailer's fourth quarter always beats its third.
    • Add Market cap≥300M to any fundamental scan. Ratios on small companies jump on small changes in the numbers.

    Troubleshooting

    IssueCauseSolution
    My ROE filter at 15 returns nothing.Ratios are decimals, so 15 means 1,500%.Type 0.15.
    Fundamental filter is grayed out with a bolt.Fundamental filters need Super or Super Pro.Upgrade to Super.
    A fundamental row shows a lock and asks for Super Pro.That metric is one of the Super Pro metrics.Pick a common metric, or upgrade to Super Pro.
    "Fundamental filters are not available on the free tier."The scan holds a fundamental filter, for example from a preset, and your plan is Free.Remove the fundamental rows, or upgrade.
    My score scan has no banks or REITs.Banks, insurers and REITs get no score.Use ratios instead of scores for those sectors.
    I can't compare with another metric.Range can't compare with another metric.Pick a different condition first.

    Related

    Scanner 101How a scan works, and the filter types it can use.Fundamental metrics referenceEvery metric, grouped by statement.Stock filtersPrice, volume, market cap, sector and gaps.Technical filtersStudies such as RSI and moving averages.

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