Stocktoria
How to tell if a stock is solid — in 5 minutes
You don't need to read a 200-page annual report. Six questions tell you most of what matters about a company's quality and safety — and Stocktoria answers each one with a plain-language score computed from SEC filings. Here's the order to ask them.
Is it financially healthy?
Start with the Piotroski F-score — nine pass/fail checks on profitability, debt and efficiency, scored 0–9. 7–9 is strong, 0–3 is weak. It's the fastest read on whether the fundamentals are improving or deteriorating.
On Stocktoria: the big number at the top of every stock card, with a full pass/fail breakdown.
Could it run into trouble?
The Altman Z″-score estimates bankruptcy risk from the balance sheet. Above 2.6 is the safe zone; below 1.1 signals distress. A great-looking profit means little if the company is one bad quarter from the edge.
On Stocktoria: shown next to the F-score on every card, colour-coded by zone.
Is the dividend safe?
If you're buying for income, a high yield is worthless if it gets cut. We blend the payout ratio, cash coverage and financial health into a single safety read — so you can tell a durable dividend from a stretched one.
On Stocktoria: the Dividends hub and the Dividends tab on each card.
Is it actually growing?
Quality without growth stagnates. Check revenue growth year over year and the multi-year trend — is the business getting bigger, and how fast?
On Stocktoria: the Financials tab shows revenue/profit charts, year-by-year growth and a revenue CAGR.
Is it cheap — or cheap for a reason?
A low P/E can mean a bargain or a value trap. The trick is to pair price with quality: cheap and financially healthy is interesting; cheap and weak usually isn't.
On Stocktoria: P/E and key valuation multiples sit in the card's key figures and Statistics tab.
Who else owns it?
Not a verdict, but useful context: which institutions hold it (13F filings) and whether insiders are buying with their own money (Form 4) — a mild signal of conviction.
On Stocktoria: the Holders tab, plus our most-owned and insider-buying pages.
The 5-minute checklist
- F-score 7+? Financially healthy.
- Altman Z″ in the safe zone? Low distress risk.
- Dividend marked safe (if you want income)?
- Revenue growing over recent years?
- Reasonable P/E for the quality?
- No red flags in insider/ownership activity?
Tick most of these and you've done more due diligence than most retail buyers. Stocktoria answers “is this solid, is the dividend safe” — never “should I buy”. That last call is yours.
Put it into practice — open the screener →
New to the terms? Every metric is defined in the glossary, and you can hover any underlined term on the site for a plain-language tooltip.