With over 550 stocks in the S&P 500 and NASDAQ-100, researching every company one by one is impractical. That is where the stock screener comes in — it filters the universe down to stocks that match your criteria.
What the Screener Does
The screener lets you set filters on key financial metrics and instantly see which stocks pass. Think of it as a search engine for stocks, but instead of searching by name, you search by characteristics.
The Three Presets
If you are not sure where to start, the screener offers three built-in strategies:
Conservative — for cautious investors who prioritize value and income:
- •Maximum P/E of 15 (only reasonably priced stocks)
- •Minimum dividend yield of 2.5% (meaningful income)
- •Minimum market cap of $10 billion (large, established companies)
Balanced — a middle-ground approach:
- •Maximum P/E of 20
- •Minimum dividend yield of 1.5%
- •Minimum market cap of $5 billion
Aggressive — for growth-oriented investors willing to accept higher valuations:
- •Maximum P/E of 25
- •Minimum dividend yield of 0.5% (just a token dividend)
- •Minimum market cap of $2 billion (includes smaller companies)
Pick the preset closest to your investment style, review the results, and adjust from there.
Custom Filters
For more control, you can set your own values for each filter:
Maximum P/E Ratio — caps how much you are willing to pay per dollar of earnings. A lower max PE produces value-oriented results. Setting this to 12-15 finds bargain-priced stocks; setting it to 30+ opens the door to high-growth names.
Minimum Dividend Yield — sets the floor for income. At 0%, you see everything including non-dividend payers. At 3%+, you filter to income-focused stocks. At 5%+, results narrow to high-yield territory (check sustainability carefully).
Market Cap Range — controls company size. Setting a minimum of $100 billion limits results to mega-cap blue chips. Lowering to $2 billion includes mid-caps with more growth potential but also more volatility.
Reading the Results
The results table shows each matching stock with:
- •Price and daily change — current market data
- •P/E ratio (trailing and forward) — valuation context
- •Dividend yield — income potential
- •Market cap — company size
Click any column header to sort. Sorting by forward P/E in ascending order surfaces the cheapest stocks by expected future earnings. Sorting by dividend yield in descending order puts the highest income payers at the top.
Screening Strategies
Here are a few practical approaches:
The Value Hunter: Max PE 12, any dividend, min market cap $10B. Finds large, cheap stocks. These are often out-of-favor companies that may be turnaround candidates.
The Income Builder: Max PE 25, min dividend 3%, min market cap $5B. Targets solid dividend payers with reasonable valuations. Good for retirement portfolios.
The Growth Seeker: Max PE 30, min dividend 0%, min market cap $20B. Casts a wide net among large companies, including high-growth names with elevated PEs.
The Bargain Bin: Max PE 10, any dividend, min market cap $2B. Very aggressive value screen. Results will be small but potentially interesting — these are the cheapest stocks in the universe.
What to Do Next
The screener generates a list of candidates — it does not make the final decision for you. After screening:
- •Click through to individual stock pages for deeper analysis
- •Check the composite score and financial health metrics
- •Look at the fair value estimate — is the stock below fair value?
- •Review recent earnings and analyst sentiment
- •Compare a few favorites using the Compare tool
The screener is the starting point. The research pages are where you build conviction.