Piotroski F-Score

What is F-Score?

A 9-point scoring system that evaluates a company's financial strength based on profitability, leverage, and efficiency metrics.

Think of it like this

Like a report card with 9 pass/fail tests - the more you pass, the healthier the company.

Formula

F-Score = Sum of 9 binary (0 or 1) criteria
  • Profitability (4): ROA, CFO, ΔROA, Accruals
  • Leverage (3): ΔLeverage, ΔLiquidity, Equity Issue
  • Efficiency (2): ΔMargin, ΔTurnover

Why it matters

  • Academic research shows high scores outperform
  • Identifies financially strong value stocks
  • Simple binary scoring is easy to understand
  • Developed by Stanford professor Joseph Piotroski

What's a good value?

0-3
Weak
Poor financial health, avoid
4-5
Average
Mixed signals, proceed with caution
6-7
Good
Solid financial position
8-9
Excellent
Strong fundamentals, quality company

Real-world example

A score of 8 means the company passed 8 of 9 financial health tests.

Evaluate this indicator on 8,000+ US stocks

Download Signal Screener