Top Finviz.com Features Every Investor Should Be Using

Finviz.com is a powerhouse of information for investors, offering a wealth of tools and data to analyze stocks and markets. The best part? Much of it is completely free. However, with so much available, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. This post will highlight the top Finviz.com features that every investor, from beginner to experienced, should be leveraging to make smarter investment decisions. We'll break down each feature and explain how to use it effectively, helping you unlock the full potential of this invaluable resource.

Forget paying for expensive stock screeners and data feeds – Finviz provides a robust platform right at your fingertips. Let's dive in!

1. The Finviz Stock Screener: Your Secret Weapon for Finding Opportunities

The stock screener is arguably Finviz's most powerful feature. It allows you to filter stocks based on a massive range of criteria, from fundamental metrics like price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio and debt-to-equity ratio to technical indicators like moving averages and relative strength index (RSI). This lets you quickly identify stocks that meet your specific investment strategy.

  • How to Use It:
    • Navigate to the "Screener" tab on the Finviz homepage.
    • You'll see three main filter categories: "Descriptive," "Fundamental," and "Technical."
    • Descriptive: Use this to filter by market cap, industry, country, and other basic stock characteristics.
    • Fundamental: This is where you'll find filters for key financial ratios like P/E, price-to-sales (P/S), earnings per share (EPS) growth, and dividend yield.
    • Technical: Filter by technical indicators like moving averages, RSI, MACD, and volatility.
    • Example: Let's say you're looking for large-cap stocks with a P/E ratio below 15 and positive EPS growth. You would set the "Market Cap" filter to "Large," the "P/E Ratio" filter to "Under 15," and the "EPS Growth This Year" filter to "Positive."
    • Pro Tip: Experiment with different filter combinations to refine your search and discover hidden gems. Save your custom screens for quick access later.

2. Heatmaps: Visualizing Market Trends at a Glance

Finviz's heatmaps provide a fantastic visual representation of market performance. You can quickly see which sectors and industries are performing well (green) and which are struggling (red). This high-level overview can help you identify potential investment opportunities or areas to avoid.

  • How to Use It:
    • Click on the "Maps" tab.
    • You can choose to view heatmaps by sector, industry, or country.
    • The size of each square represents the market capitalization of the companies within that sector/industry.
    • The color indicates the performance for the selected time period (e.g., today, 1 week, 1 month).
    • Example: If you notice that the technology sector is consistently green across multiple timeframes, it might indicate a strong uptrend worth further investigation.
    • Pro Tip: Use the heatmaps to identify sectors and industries that are outperforming the overall market. This can help you focus your research on areas with strong momentum.

3. Stock Charts: Dive Deep into Individual Stock Performance

Finviz offers interactive stock charts that provide a wealth of information about a company's price history, trading volume, and technical indicators. These charts are essential for conducting technical analysis and identifying potential entry and exit points.

  • How to Use It:
    • Enter the stock ticker symbol in the search bar.
    • Click on the "Chart" tab.
    • You can customize the chart by adding various technical indicators, such as moving averages, Bollinger Bands, and RSI.
    • Use the zoom function to view different timeframes, from intraday to several years.
    • Example: You can add a 200-day moving average to a stock chart to see if the price is trending above or below its long-term average. A break above the 200-day moving average could be a bullish signal.
    • Pro Tip: Learn to interpret basic chart patterns like head and shoulders, double tops/bottoms, and triangles. These patterns can provide valuable insights into future price movements.

4. News Aggregation: Stay Informed About Market-Moving Events

Finviz aggregates news from various sources, providing a convenient way to stay informed about market-moving events and company-specific news. This feature helps you quickly assess the impact of news on your investments.

  • How to Use It:
    • On the stock quote page, scroll down to the "News" section.
    • You'll see a list of recent news articles related to the company.
    • Click on the headlines to read the full articles.
    • Example: If a company announces better-than-expected earnings, you'll see the news headlines immediately on the Finviz page.
    • Pro Tip: Pay attention to the source of the news. Reputable sources like Reuters and Bloomberg are generally more reliable than smaller, less-known websites.

5. Portfolio Tracking: Monitor Your Investments in Real-Time

Finviz allows you to create a virtual portfolio to track the performance of your investments. This feature helps you monitor your gains and losses, analyze your portfolio's asset allocation, and identify potential rebalancing opportunities.

  • How to Use It:
    • Create a free account on Finviz.
    • Click on the "Portfolio" tab.
    • Add your stock holdings, including the number of shares and purchase price.
    • Finviz will automatically track the performance of your portfolio and provide various statistics, such as your total return, asset allocation, and sector diversification.
    • Example: You can use the portfolio tracker to see how your portfolio is performing compared to the S&P 500 index.
    • Pro Tip: Regularly review your portfolio's asset allocation and rebalance as needed to maintain your desired risk profile.

6. Insider Trading Data: Follow the Smart Money

Finviz provides data on insider trading activity, which can offer valuable insights into a company's prospects. While insider trading is illegal, legal insider buying (when executives or board members purchase shares of their own company) can be a positive sign, suggesting that insiders believe the stock is undervalued.

  • How to Use It:
    • On the stock quote page, scroll down to the "Insider Trading" section.
    • You'll see a list of recent insider transactions, including the date, transaction type (buy or sell), and number of shares.
    • Example: If several executives have recently purchased shares of their company, it could be a bullish signal.
    • Pro Tip: Don't rely solely on insider trading data to make investment decisions. Consider it as just one piece of the puzzle.

7. Analyst Ratings: Gauge Wall Street Sentiment

Finviz aggregates analyst ratings from various research firms, providing a quick overview of Wall Street's sentiment towards a particular stock. This can help you understand the potential upside or downside of an investment.

  • How to Use It:
    • On the stock quote page, look for the "Analyst Ratings" section.
    • You'll see a summary of recent analyst ratings, including the rating (e.g., buy, hold, sell) and price target.
    • Example: If the majority of analysts have a "buy" rating on a stock with a price target significantly above the current price, it could indicate that the stock is undervalued.
    • Pro Tip: Be aware that analyst ratings are not always accurate. Do your own research and form your own opinion before making any investment decisions.

Conclusion: Empowering Your Investment Journey with Finviz

Finviz.com is a powerful and accessible tool for investors of all levels. By mastering the features outlined above, you can significantly enhance your ability to analyze stocks, identify opportunities, and make informed investment decisions. Don’t just passively consume market news – actively use Finviz to screen, analyze, and track your investments. Remember to combine Finviz's data with your own research and due diligence to build a well-rounded investment strategy. Happy investing!