Finding stocks
The top 10 stocks to buy, the best dividend, growth or undervalued shares, the largest companies - what these searches really ask for, and how to answer them for yourself with a screener.
Top 10 stocks to buy now? How to make your own list
No one can give you the ten stocks to buy today. What you can do is rank every stock by the things that matter to you and get your own top 10, 20, 50 or 100 - in a minute, with a screener.
Read →How to find the best stocks: a step-by-step method
"The best stock" is the one that fits your goal at a sensible price. A simple method: decide what you want, screen for it, check the business and its numbers, and compare it with its peers.
Read →How to find good dividend stocks
A good dividend stock pays a yield it can afford and raises it over time. Look for a yield of roughly 2-7 %, profits and cash flow that cover the payout, and a long record of paying.
Read →How to find undervalued stocks
An undervalued stock trades below what the business is likely worth. Low price ratios find candidates; a valuation model, the company's history and its peers tell you whether it is cheap or cheap for a reason.
Read →How to find growth stocks
Growth stocks increase sales and profits faster than the market. Screen for steady revenue and earnings growth, check that the growth makes money, and do not pay any price for it.
Read →The largest companies by market value - top 10, top 100
Market value (market capitalisation) is the share price times the number of shares. Ranking by it shows the world's largest listed companies - a useful map of the market, not a list of what to buy.
Read →Best stocks for beginners? What to look for instead
There are no special beginner stocks, but there are beginner-friendly habits: companies you understand, steady profits, little debt, several companies instead of one - and money you will not need soon.
Read →Stocks under $10: what a low share price really means
A share price under 10 says nothing about whether a share is cheap. What matters is what you pay for the earnings and the business - and the very cheapest shares are often the riskiest.
Read →Low-debt stocks: companies with more cash than debt
Companies with little or no debt can get through bad years and invest without borrowing. Net debt - debt minus cash - below zero means a company could repay all its debt today.
Read →High free cash flow stocks: companies that turn sales into cash
Free cash flow is the cash left after a company has paid for running and investing in its business. It pays dividends, buybacks and debt - and it is harder to dress up than earnings.
Read →The best stocks in a sector: how to compare within an industry
A 10 % margin is weak for software and strong for a supermarket. To find the best stocks in a sector, compare companies only with their own industry - every sector page has a shortcut into the screener with that sector chosen.
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