Finviz Stock Screener: View Stock Price Lists Instantly

The stock market can feel like navigating a vast ocean, filled with countless companies and ever-changing tides. Finding the right stocks to invest in requires research, analysis, and a reliable source of information. That's where the Finviz stock screener comes in. It's a powerful, free tool that allows you to instantly view stock price lists and filter through thousands of companies based on various criteria. This blog post will explore how to leverage Finviz to quickly find potential investment opportunities.

Finviz offers a user-friendly interface and a wealth of data, making it a valuable asset for both beginner and experienced investors. Instead of spending hours manually sifting through financial statements, you can use Finviz to quickly identify stocks that meet your specific investment criteria. Let's dive into how to use this powerful tool.

Understanding the Finviz Interface

Before we start screening, let's familiarize ourselves with the Finviz website. The homepage provides a quick overview of market news, top gainers/losers, and economic data. However, the real power lies in the "Screener" tab. Click on it to access the stock screening tool.

The screener interface is divided into three main sections:

  • Descriptive: This section allows you to filter stocks based on fundamental characteristics like market capitalization, industry, country, and exchange.
  • Fundamental: Here, you can filter based on financial metrics like price-to-earnings ratio (P/E), earnings per share (EPS), revenue growth, and debt-to-equity ratio.
  • Technical: This section focuses on technical indicators such as moving averages, relative strength index (RSI), and volume.

Creating Your First Stock Screen

Let's create a simple stock screen to illustrate how Finviz works. Suppose you're looking for large-cap stocks in the technology sector with a low P/E ratio. Here's how you can set up the screen:

  1. Navigate to the Screener: As mentioned earlier, click the "Screener" tab on the Finviz homepage.
  2. Select Descriptive Filters:
    • Under "Market Cap," choose "Large (Over $10B)."
    • Under "Sector," select "Technology."
  3. Select Fundamental Filters:
    • Under "P/E Ratio," choose "Under 15."

Finviz will instantly display a list of stocks that meet these criteria. You can then further refine your search by adding more filters or adjusting the existing ones.

Advanced Screening Techniques

The real strength of Finviz lies in its ability to combine multiple filters to create highly specific screens. Here are some advanced techniques you can use:

  • Combining Fundamental and Technical Filters: For example, you could screen for stocks with positive earnings growth (fundamental) that are also trading above their 200-day moving average (technical). This could indicate a company with strong fundamentals that is also in an uptrend.
  • Using Custom Filters: Finviz allows you to define custom filters based on specific financial ratios or indicators. This gives you even more control over your screening process.
  • Filtering by Analyst Recommendations: If you're interested in stocks that analysts are bullish on, you can filter by analyst ratings (e.g., "Buy" or "Strong Buy").
  • Using the "Signal" Filter: The "Signal" filter provides pre-defined screens based on common trading strategies, such as "Top Gainers," "New Highs," and "Unusual Volume." This can be a quick way to identify potential trading opportunities.

Saving and Loading Your Screens

Once you've created a screen that you like, you can save it for future use. This saves you the time and effort of re-entering the filter criteria each time you want to run the screen.

  1. Save the Screen: Click the "Save Screen" button at the top of the screener interface.
  2. Name the Screen: Enter a descriptive name for your screen (e.g., "Large-Cap Tech Value Stocks").
  3. Load the Screen: To load a saved screen, click the "Load Screen" button and select the screen you want to load from the list.

Interpreting the Results

After running your screen, Finviz will display a list of stocks that meet your criteria. The results table includes key information such as:

  • Ticker: The stock's ticker symbol.
  • Company: The name of the company.
  • Sector: The sector the company belongs to.
  • Industry: The industry the company belongs to.
  • Country: The country where the company is based.
  • Market Cap: The company's market capitalization.
  • P/E Ratio: The company's price-to-earnings ratio.
  • EPS (ttm): The company's earnings per share (trailing twelve months).
  • Dividend Yield: The company's dividend yield (if applicable).

You can click on a stock's ticker symbol to view a detailed profile page with more information about the company, including its financial statements, news articles, and analyst ratings.

Tips for Effective Stock Screening with Finviz

Here are some tips to help you get the most out of the Finviz stock screener:

  • Start with a Clear Investment Thesis: Before you start screening, define your investment goals and criteria. What type of stocks are you looking for? What are your risk tolerance and time horizon?
  • Experiment with Different Filters: Don't be afraid to experiment with different filters and combinations to see what results you get.
  • Focus on Quality over Quantity: Don't just screen for stocks with high returns. Focus on finding companies with strong fundamentals and sustainable business models.
  • Do Your Own Research: The Finviz screener is a great tool for identifying potential investment opportunities, but it's not a substitute for your own research. Always do your due diligence before investing in any stock.
  • Don't Rely Solely on One Screener: While Finviz is powerful, consider using other screeners and resources to get a more comprehensive view of the market.
  • Be Aware of Data Limitations: Finviz's data is generally reliable, but it's always a good idea to verify the information with other sources.
  • Regularly Review Your Screens: Market conditions change over time, so it's important to regularly review and update your screens to ensure they are still relevant.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Over-Optimizing Your Screens: Avoid creating screens that are too restrictive, as you may miss out on potentially good investments.
  • Ignoring Qualitative Factors: While quantitative filters are important, don't ignore qualitative factors such as management quality, competitive advantages, and industry trends.
  • Chasing Hot Stocks: Avoid screening for stocks that have already had a significant run-up in price, as they may be overvalued.
  • Failing to Understand the Metrics: Make sure you understand the meaning and limitations of the financial metrics you are using in your screens.

Conclusion

The Finviz stock screener is a valuable tool for any investor looking to quickly identify potential investment opportunities. By understanding the interface, mastering advanced screening techniques, and following the tips outlined in this blog post, you can leverage Finviz to find stocks that align with your investment goals and risk tolerance. Remember to always do your own research and due diligence before investing in any stock. Happy screening!