what is a stock screener 
a stock screener is a set of tools that allow investors to quickly sort through the myriad of available stocks and exchange traded funds according to the investor s own criteria the best stock screeners are typically available on brokerage trading platforms for free but there are also some independent subscription based stock screeners available stock screeners allow investors to employ their own methodology about what makes a stock or etf valuable longer term traders or spot a potential trading opportunity shorter term traders 