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Plain-language guides to the metrics, ratios and filings behind every Stocktoria score. No jargon — just what each number means and how to read it.

Altman Z-Score Explained The Altman Z-score estimates a company's bankruptcy risk from its balance sheet. Learn how to read the safe, grey and distress zones. Debt-to-Equity Ratio Explained The debt-to-equity ratio shows how much a company relies on borrowing versus owners' money. Learn what's healthy and what's risky. Dividend Yield Explained Dividend yield is the cash return you get from a stock's dividends, as a percent of its price. Learn how to read it and when a high yield is a warning. Free Cash Flow Explained Free cash flow is the real cash a business has left after running and investing in itself. It's harder to fake than profit — here's why it matters. Insider Trading & Form 4, Explained Form 4 reveals when a company's executives and directors buy or sell its stock. Learn what legal insider trading signals — and what it doesn't. Price-to-Sales (P/S) Ratio Explained The P/S ratio values a company against its revenue. Learn when it's more useful than the P/E and what a good number looks like. What Is a 13F Filing? A 13F is a quarterly SEC report of what big investors own. Learn what it shows, what it doesn't, and how to use it. What Is a Good P/E Ratio? The price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio shows how much you pay for each dollar of a company's profit. Here's how to read it and what counts as high or low. What Is Gross Margin? Gross margin shows how much of each sales dollar is left after the direct cost of the product. A simple guide to reading it. What Is Market Capitalization? Market cap is the total stock-market value of a company. Learn how it's calculated and what large, mid and small cap mean. What Is Return on Equity (ROE)? Return on equity measures how much profit a company generates from shareholders' money. Learn what a good ROE looks like and its catch. What Is the Current Ratio? The current ratio measures whether a company can pay its short-term bills. A plain-language guide to reading liquidity. What Is the Piotroski F-Score? The Piotroski F-Score is a 0–9 measure of a company's financial health from nine pass/fail accounting checks. Here's how it works, in plain English.