The good news is that there are a number of free screening tools available to stock investors.
Some are more robust than others and some offer unique features. Many offer predefined screens as well as custom screening tools.
The list below is not complete, but does give you an idea of what is available.
If you are new to screening, these tools will help you understand what they can and can’t do.
I have not listed any screening tools offered by brokerage firms, but many provide this service.
There are many more available than the few listed here, but if you play around with these, you will have a better idea of what works best for you.
If you become serious about complex screens, there are many services that will help you build a robust screen, however many of these are not free.
The following list is not a ranking. I encourage you to visit all of these sites to see what is available.
Yahoo! Finance
A good stock screen to use for simple screens. It’s free and is accompanied by extensive data, including historic prices of stocks and indexes.
MSN Money
MSN offers two options. The first is a set of predefine screens and the second is a custom screening tool. Both are robust and useful. The predefined screens let you see how screens are setup, while the custom screening tool lets you define your own screens.
CNBC
CNBC offers both predefined and custom screening tools, although they are not as robust as some other offerings.
Morningstar
Morningstar has one of the best stock screening tools on the market. Along with a custom screens, Morningstar offers predefined screens. These are free, however if you want to tap the full potential of Morningstar’s wealth of research, you will need to subscribe.
Google Finance
Omnipresent Google offers a stock screener, however it only uses a small number of data points. It does have a handy interactive scale that lets you see the distribution of values across its universe of stocks.
Market Watch
Market Watch offers a screen that lets you select by intraday price, rather than closing prices like many other screens. This can be handy if you are an active trader following prices during trading.
Stories in this Series
Stock Screening Basics
You Should be Using Stock Screens
Characteristics of a Good Stock Screen
Don't Let Stock Screens Cloud Your Judgment
Stock Screens for All Investors
Stock Screening Tools You May Want to Consider
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