Stock Screeners
- CANSLIM -

Updated February 2019 (je)

Several stock screeners implement the CANSLIM screening requirements as pre-built screens. In addition, several free screeners can come close enough to work. Remember: this is not a mechanical investing strategy, so screeners may be considered adequate because the number of results to be checked manually is minimal.

Target screening requirements are included for reference at the bottom of the page.

Stock Screeners that work

The following screeners are capable of meeting the target screening requirements:

1. AAII Stock Investor Pro (fee-based)
2. Portfolio123  (fee-based)
3. Stock Rover  (both free and fee-based versions)

1 - AAII Stock Investor Pro

AAII has implemented 2 versions of CANSLIM and the requirements noted (different from their pre-defined screens) can be met. Trading liquidity of passing companies is an issue. Back-testing is clumsy. 

Scroll down through the charts to see the historical performance of both AAII versions.

2 - Portfolio123

Subscribers have access to the pre-built Portfolio123 implementation and the ability to back-test variations with valid data. There are several related threads in the user forums. Best choice at present.

The following chart is the back-tested results of their pre-built screen from Jan 2009 through Dec 2016.

3 - Stock Rover

Stock Rover offers 2 pre-built CANSLIM screens.  Only one is available in the free (Basic) version.  Both are available in Stock Rover Premium.

To select the pre-built screen, right click on "Screeners" in the left navigation column and select "Browse Screener Library".

Choose CAN SLIM or CAN SLIM Basic.

Screeners that work to some degree

The following online stock screeners failed to implement all of the requirements but were able to return a manageable list of results. Note that FinViz is free with registration:

• FinViz – Does not provide shares outstanding, number of institutional owners, relative strength or robust EPS data.  It was able to reduce the list of candidates to a manageable amount for further study. ROE is available as an alternative.  If this is your primary screening tool, you can get by.
• Morningstar Premium – Does not provide price as a percentage of 52 week high but everything else is there.  Relative strength against the S&P 500 is not a rank.  It would be simpler to run the screen without this since the value might change over time. Morningstar does provide a rating of the funds holding the stock.
• Zacks Free Stock Screener - Weak EPS growth choices and no relative strength. Substitute percent of hi-lo range for % of high. It produced a manageable number of results but the screen criteria cannot be saved in the free screener. Not recommended.
  

Screeners that fail to implement CANSLIM

The following are all free stock screeners but are not worth the effort for this strategy:

• AOL Money & Finance Stock Screener – Not close enough to bother.
• Google – Not enough criteria to reduce the number of results sufficiently and screen criteria cannot be saved.
• Morningstar (free) screener – No.
• VectorVest – Only shares outstanding is available.
• Yahoo - Not close enough to bother.

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Target Screening Requirements

Based on the published implementations and the requirements set forth in several books and articles, the following are the primary CANSLIM criteria:

Data Requirement	Operator	Parameter
Q5 to Q1 EPS growth	>=	18%
Q5 to Q1 EPS growth	>	Q6 to Q2 EPS growth
Q1 EPS	>	0
5 Yr Avg EPS growth	>	25%
TTM EPS	>=	Y1 EPS
Y1 EPS	>	Y2 EPS
Y2 EPS	>	Y3 EPS
Current price	>=	0.9 * 52 Wk High
Shares outstanding	<=	25 million
52 Wk Relative Strength rank	>=	80
Institutional Owners	>=	3
Institutional Ownership	<=	35%