How to Screen US Stocks Like a Pro: A Complete Guide for 2026
Learn how to use a stock screener to find the best US stocks using fundamental and technical filters. Step-by-step guide for beginners and advanced traders.
A stock screener is a tool that filters thousands of stocks based on criteria you choose — things like market cap, P/E ratio, revenue growth, and price momentum. Instead of manually reviewing 5,000+ US stocks, a screener narrows the list down to the ones that actually match your strategy.
Why Use DeltaScreener?
DeltaScreener gives you access to real-time fundamental and technical data for every stock on the NYSE and NASDAQ. You can filter by:
Profitability — Net margin, operating margin, ROE
Growth — Year-over-year revenue and profit growth
Valuation — P/E, P/B, EV/EBITDA
Momentum — 52-week performance, relative strength
Step 1: Define Your Strategy
Before you open any screener, know what kind of investor you are. Are you a growth investor looking for companies expanding revenue at 20%+ per year? A value investor hunting for underpriced stocks with strong balance sheets? Or a momentum trader following breakouts?
Your strategy determines your filters.
Step 2: Set Your Universe
Start by filtering for liquidity. Stick to stocks with market cap above $500M and average daily volume above 500,000 shares. This gives you a tradeable universe of around 2,000-3,000 stocks.
Step 3: Apply Fundamental Filters
For a growth screen, try revenue growth (YoY) above 15%, net margin above 10%, and EPS growth above 20%.
For a value screen, try P/E ratio below 15, P/B ratio below 2, and debt-to-equity below 1.
Step 4: Sort by Momentum
Once you have your filtered list, sort by 6-month or 1-year price performance. Stocks that are already moving up tend to keep moving — this is the momentum effect, well-documented in academic finance.
Step 5: Do Your Due Diligence
The screener gives you a shortlist, not a buy list. For each stock that passes your filters, read the last two earnings transcripts, check the balance sheet for debt levels, understand what the company actually does, and look at insider ownership.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Using too many filters often returns zero results or overfits to past data. Keep it to 4-6 core criteria. Also avoid ignoring sector context — a 20% margin is great in tech but average in pharma.
Final Thoughts
Stock screening is the starting point of a research process, not the end. The best investors use screeners to surface ideas efficiently, then apply judgment to the shortlist. DeltaScreener is built to make that first step as fast and accurate as possible.
🔍 Try it yourself
Apply these filters on DeltaScreener — free, no sign-up