4 Methods to Screen Growth and Dividend Stocks Amidst Thousands of Market Options /By Longtunman
The Thai stock market has over 900 listed companies. The Hong Kong stock market has more than 2,600. The Chinese stock market has more than 5,300. The US stock market has more than 6,000.
The stock market is filled with an immense number of stocks—hundreds or even thousands—for investors to choose from.
However, having a massive selection is a challenge for investors. No one has enough time to study every single stock, and even if they did, analyzing every one would be a highly inefficient approach.
It is even more challenging to find "winners"—businesses strong enough to generate great long-term returns—because these winners usually represent only a tiny fraction of the market.
If investors have systematic tools or frameworks to help with an initial screening of potential, it can make the selection process much more efficient.
This article compiles 4 famous frameworks for initial stock screening, each suited for finding different types of stocks:
1. CANSLIM – For Growth Stocks
2. Piotroski F-Score – For stocks with strong fundamentals
3. Magic Formula – For Value Stocks
4. Dividend Growth Model – For Dividend Stocks
1. CANSLIM: Screening for Growth Stocks
CANSLIM is a strategy developed by William O'Neil, founder of Investor's Business Daily. It uses both fundamental and technical data to find high-growth stocks that are market leaders.
CANSLIM is an acronym consisting of 7 factors:
C (Current Quarterly Earnings): Earnings Per Share (EPS) for the latest quarter should grow by more than 25% YoY. Accelerating profit growth in the recent quarter is a positive sign.
A (Annual Earnings Growth): Annual net profit should grow at least 25% consistently for at least 3 years. Additionally, Return on Equity (ROE) should be 17% or higher.
N (New Product or Service): The company continuously develops new innovations or has a new business model.
S (Supply & Demand): The stock shows increasing trading volume, especially when the price rises. High volume suggests the stock is gaining investor interest.
L (Leader or Laggard?): The stock should be an industry leader or hold a high market share in its sector.
I (Institutional Sponsorship): There is investment from institutional investors, such as mutual funds or large financial institutions. Recent institutional buying indicates confidence in long-term performance.
M (Market Direction): One should invest when the overall market trend is bullish and avoid investing during a downtrend.
2. Piotroski F-Score: Screening for Strong Fundamentals
The Piotroski F-Score was created by Joseph Piotroski, a professor at the University of Chicago. It helps analyze fundamental strength through 9 financial statement factors. Each passing criterion earns 1 point; otherwise, it gets 0.
A score of 7–9 indicates strong fundamentals.
Profitability Criteria:
- Positive Return on Assets (ROA) in the current year.
- ROA is higher than the previous year.
- Positive Cash Flow from Operations (CFO) in the current year.
Leverage, Liquidity, and Source of Funds:
- Decrease in Debt-to-Equity (D/E) ratio from the previous year.
- Increase in Current Ratio from the previous year.
- No new shares issued (no capital increase) in the past year.
Operating Efficiency:
- Higher Gross Margin compared to the previous year.
- Higher Asset Turnover compared to the previous year.
The Piotroski F-Score is used to screen for financially robust companies and helps investors avoid those with potential financial distress.
3. Magic Formula: Screening for Value Stocks
The Magic Formula was created by Joel Greenblatt, a famous investor and author of The Little Book That Still Beats the Market.
It is used to identify high-quality stocks at cheap prices using two main factors: Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) and Earnings Yield.
High ROIC: Indicates the ability to generate good returns from invested capital.
High Earnings Yield: Indicates a stock is cheap relative to its earnings.
- EarningsYield = EBIT / Enterprise Value
- Enterprise Value = Market Cap + Total Debt − Total Cash
Steps for using the Magic Formula:
1. Set a minimum market cap (e.g., over $50 million).
2. Exclude specific sectors like utilities and financial groups.
3. Calculate Earnings Yield and ROIC.
4. Rank companies by Earnings Yield and ROIC from high to low (Rank 1 is the highest).
5. Combine the ranks of both criteria and sort from lowest to highest total (the lower the total score, the better).
6. Select the top 20–30 stocks.
7. Allocate capital equally to each stock.
8. Disciplined rebalancing once a year (sell those that drop in rank and buy new qualifiers).
The strength of the Magic Formula is its data-driven, emotionless approach. However, its weakness is that it may not perform well in the short term and isn't applicable to all types of stocks, such as loss-making growth or tech stocks.
4. Dividend Growth Model (DGM): Screening for Dividend Stocks
The Dividend Growth Model is derived from the Gordon Growth Model, used to calculate stock value based on dividend growth.
Gordon Growth Model formula: P = D1 / (r − g)
(Where P = Stock price, D1 = Expected dividend next year, r = Required rate of return, g = Dividend growth rate)
The Dividend Growth Model suggests a good dividend stock should have:
- Dividend Yield: Should be higher than government bond yields.
- Dividend Payout Ratio: Should not be too high (e.g., below 60%). If it's too high, the company might be overpaying and lack funds for expansion.
- Dividend Growth Rate: Dividends should grow by an average of 5–10% per year.
- Free Cash Flow (FCF): Should be positive, indicating the company can actually afford dividends without excessive borrowing.
- D/E Ratio: Should not be too high (e.g., below 1.0 for large firms), as high debt might jeopardize long-term dividend stability.
In summary, the Dividend Growth Model is ideal for investors seeking consistent dividend payers. However, it is not suitable for growth stocks (like non-dividend-paying tech) or cyclical stocks with inconsistent payouts.
Every method and framework mentioned has its own pros and cons. Therefore, as an investor, you should use these screening methods alongside other qualitative and quantitative analyses. This ensures the stocks you pick have the potential to meet your specific financial goals.
Ultimately, in a world with tens of thousands of stocks, it isn't a competition of who knows more stocks, but who can systematically select the "right" ones and filter out the rest.