finviz stock Guide: Screening & Analysis

This guide explains finviz stock — a web-based market research platform for screening and researching U.S. equities and ETFs. Read practical steps, feature breakdowns, pros/cons, pricing and sugges...

2024-07-12 14:08:00

By Ravi Clark

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Finviz

finviz stock is a widely used web-based financial visualization platform focused on screening and researching stocks and ETFs. This guide explains what finviz stock offers, who typically uses it, how its main tools (screener, heatmaps, groups, quote pages, portfolios and news) work, and practical steps to use the service for idea generation and trade preparation. You will learn feature-by-feature workflows, data coverage and timeliness, pricing differences between the free tier and Elite, common strengths and limitations reported by independent reviews, and where Finviz fits among alternatives. The guide also highlights recommended next steps and a Bitget-friendly action path for users ready to move from research to execution.

As of June 2024, finviz stock remains one of the most-cited free screeners for retail investors, praised for its visualizations and preset filters while noting that real-time data and advanced charting are gated behind an Elite subscription.

History and background

Finviz—short for "financial visualizations"—launched as a market research site designed to make stock screening and market visualization fast and accessible. Over time the site added layers of capability: a comprehensive stock screener with hundreds of filters, interactive heatmaps and group views for sector/industry comparison, detailed quote pages for tickers and ETFs, integrated news aggregation, and a paid "Elite" tier that unlocks real-time data, alerts, saved screens and faster refresh rates.

Founding and name: The brand originates from the phrase "financial visualizations," reflecting the product focus on visual market displays and screen-based discovery.
Evolution: The platform grew from a primarily free, browser-first screener to a two-tier model (free + Elite) that added real-time data, advanced charting and backtesting to paid users.
Usage: finviz stock is broadly adopted by retail investors, active traders, financial bloggers and market analysts as a fast way to scan markets and generate trading ideas.

As of June 2024, independent reviews and platform documentation emphasize the platform’s long-standing position as a go-to free screener and visualization hub for U.S. equities and ETFs.

Core features — quick overview

Finviz’s product is organized into a set of core functional areas. Each is designed to support discovery, comparison and close inspection of securities:

Stock screener: multi-dimensional filters for descriptive, fundamental and technical attributes.
Heatmaps and maps: visual, color-coded market overviews by sector, industry or index.
Groups / Industry analysis: comparative tables and drill-downs across sectors and industries.
Quote pages and charts: compact ticker pages with price, charts, fundamentals and news.
Portfolio and watchlists: simulated portfolios, watchlists and basic position tracking.
News, insider and institutional flows: aggregated headlines, insider transactions and large-holder summaries.
Technical signals & patterns: preset technical signals and pattern detection (some advanced features require Elite).
Coverage beyond stocks: summary pages for ETFs, futures, forex and a crypto overview section.

Each of these core features supports a typical workflow: screen → sort → inspect → track.

Stock screener

The stock screener is finviz stock’s flagship tool. It organizes filters into descriptive, fundamental and technical groups and includes presets and signals to help users start quickly.

Filter groups: descriptive (sector, industry, market cap, country), fundamental (P/E, EPS growth, dividend yield, revenue, debt/equity) and technical (50/200-day moving averages, relative strength, patterns).
Preset signals: built-in presets such as Top Gainers, New Highs, Unusual Volume and Insider Buying let users jump to notable market events without building filters from scratch.
Customization & saving: paid users can save screens and receive alerts for matches; free users can craft one-off screens and use URL parameters to save filters externally.
Typical workflow: start with broad filters (market cap, sector), add a fundamental or technical screen (low P/E, or above 50-day MA), sort results by volume or performance, then inspect tickers via quote pages and charts.

For many users, finviz stock’s screener speed and set of presets are the primary reason to use the platform. Reviews highlight how quickly a retail user can narrow thousands of tickers to a focused watchlist.

Heatmaps and Maps

Heatmaps are one of Finviz’s most distinctive visual features. They show sectors, industries or market indices as colored rectangles sized by market cap and color-coded by a metric such as price change.

What they show: performance (intraday/% change), valuation metrics (P/E), or dividend yield across sectors and industries.
Use cases: quickly spot market leadership or weakness by sector (e.g., tech outperforming, energy lagging) and identify clusters of winners or losers.
Interactivity: users can click into a rectangle to see constituent tickers and drill down into industry or company pages.

Heatmaps are particularly useful for daily market scanning and spotting macro-level shifts that are hard to detect via lists alone.

Groups / Industry analysis

The Groups view aggregates stocks by sector or industry and displays sortable metrics for comparison.

Group metrics: average performance, median market cap, P/E, dividend yield and number of constituents.
Drill-downs: from sector to industry to top individual companies.
Use case: sector rotation analysis and quick identification of over- or under-valued industries relative to peers.

This feature helps investors move beyond single-ticker analysis to cross-sectional, relative-value perspectives.

Quote pages and charts

A standard quote page consolidates price, performance, key fundamentals, major institutional holders and recent news for a ticker (or ETF).

Price and change: current price, intraday change, and percentage movement.
Financials: P/E, EPS, revenue, margins, and dividend yield where applicable.
Holdings for ETFs: top holdings and weightings for ETF pages.
Charts: candlestick or line charts with selectable timeframes and basic technical overlays (moving averages, RSI). More advanced charting and custom indicators are part of Elite features or require exporting to a dedicated charting platform.

Quote pages are optimized for quick checks—fast to load and designed for traders or researchers who want a compact overview before deeper due diligence.

Portfolio and watchlist tools

Finviz provides basic portfolio simulation and watchlist functionality.

Portfolio simulation: allows users to create hypothetical portfolios, track returns and view position-level performance.
Watchlists and alerts: users can add tickers to watchlists; Elite users can set alerts and receive more frequent updates without page refreshes.
Free vs Elite: the free tier supports basic watchlists, while Elite subscribers get saved screens, faster refreshes, and real-time alerts.

These tools are intended for monitoring rather than full trade execution, so many users pair Finviz research with an execution platform when ready to trade. For execution, this guide recommends considering Bitget as a modern trading venue aligned with web3-native portfolios and mobile-first execution.

News aggregation and insider / fund flows

Finviz aggregates headlines from multiple news sources and ties them to tickers. It also surfaces insider transactions and institutional holdings summarized on quote pages.

News feed: consolidated headlines, sortable by relevance or recency.
Insider transactions: buy/sell activity by company insiders with dates and sizes.
Institutional holdings: major shareholders, 13F snapshots and aggregated fund flows where available.

These signals help investors correlate price moves with verified fund flows or insider activity.

Technical analysis, signals and backtests

Finviz includes a range of built-in technical signals and pattern recognition tools, with deeper capabilities in Elite.

Technical signals: moving average crossovers, RSI extremes, MACD signals and prebuilt criteria like "new high" or "unusual volume."
Chart patterns: automated detection for patterns such as head & shoulders, wedges and channels; pattern detections can be used as screener filters.
Backtesting: limited backtesting and historical signal analysis are part of the Elite feature set (not as comprehensive as specialized backtesting platforms).

These tools help technically-oriented traders screen for setups and validate them against historical behavior within Finviz’s environment.

Other markets: Futures, Forex, Crypto, ETFs

While finviz stock is best known for U.S. equities, the platform also provides overviews for other asset classes:

ETFs: detailed pages with top holdings and sector weightings.
Futures & Forex: snapshot tables for major futures contracts and currency pairs.
Crypto section: summary pages and heatmaps for major cryptocurrencies (note: coverage is more limited than specialized crypto platforms).

Coverage is designed to give cross-asset context rather than full trading tools for each asset class.

Data coverage, timeliness and sources

Finviz concentrates on U.S.-listed equities and ETFs but includes some international coverage. Important distinctions for users:

Scope: thousands of U.S. tickers and ETFs (roughly in the 6,000–8,000 range depending on listings and delistings) and selective international coverage.
Timeliness: free-tier data is delayed (typically by 15–20 minutes for major U.S. exchanges). Real-time streaming quotes and faster refresh rates are available to Elite subscribers.
Sources: Finviz aggregates exchange data, financial statements and third-party feeds; exact provider lists and agreements are maintained by the platform and can change.

As of June 2024, reviews emphasize that the free delay is the primary tradeoff for casual users: the screener and visual tools are fully usable, but time-sensitive traders usually require Elite or a direct broker feed for execution.

Pricing and subscription tiers

Finviz offers a free tier and a paid Elite tier. Pricing has varied over time, so precise numbers may change; the figures below are time-stamped examples.

Free tier: access to the full screener functionality, heatmaps, basic quote pages and aggregated news with delayed quotes and ads.
Elite tier (example pricing as of June 2024): monthly and annual plans that unlock real-time quotes, saved screens, advanced charts, backtesting, alerts and an ad-free experience. Historically, Elite has been offered in the ballpark of $30–$40/month or a discounted yearly rate (commonly around $250–$300/year). Users should confirm current pricing on the vendor’s official materials.

As of June 2024, independent reviews note that the Elite tier is priced to be affordable for frequent scanners but that some traders prefer broker-integrated tools or chart-first platforms for advanced execution needs.

How to use Finviz for stock research (practical guide)

This section gives step-by-step, practical instructions for using finviz stock to generate and vet trading ideas.

Start with a goal: define whether you want growth, value, dividend income or technical breakouts.
Open the screener and set descriptive filters:
- Market cap: focus on small-, mid- or large-cap depending on strategy.
- Sector/industry: choose sectors you want to target or avoid.
Add fundamental filters:
- P/E or forward P/E ranges for value screens.
- Revenue or EPS growth thresholds for growth screens.
- Dividend yield and payout ratios for income screens.
Add technical filters (optional):
- Price relative to moving averages (e.g., price > 50-day MA) for momentum.
- RSI ranges for mean-reversion or breakout setups.
Apply preset signals if appropriate:
- Unusual Volume to find spikes in liquidity.
- New High / New Low to find momentum extremes.
Sort and prioritize results: by average daily volume, market cap or performance over a chosen timeframe.
Inspect tickers via quote pages: read the latest headlines, review financials, check insider/institutional flows and view a chart.
Add candidates to a watchlist or simulated portfolio for tracking.
If time-sensitive, set alerts (Finviz Elite) for price or signal triggers.
When ready to execute, use a trusted execution platform; for traders preferring a web3-integrated workflow or mobile-first execution, consider Bitget as a recommended exchange partner.

This workflow supports both idea generation and pre-trade verification before deeper due diligence or order placement.

Use cases and audience

finviz stock fits a range of users and tasks:

Retail investors: quick fundamental screens, dividend screens and ETF checks.
Swing traders: momentum filters, volume spikes and technical pattern scans.
Day traders: intraday heatmaps and unusual volume filters (Elite advisable for time-sensitivity).
Financial bloggers and analysts: rapid market snapshots, sector comparisons and charts for commentary.

Typical tasks include screening for ideas, daily market scanning via heatmaps, cross-sectional industry comparison and quick verification of news and insider flows.

Strengths

Independent reviews and user feedback consistently highlight these strengths of finviz stock:

Powerful free screener: many filters available without paywall.
Visualizations: heatmaps and group views are intuitive and time-saving for market scanning.
Presets and signals: useful built-in screens accelerate idea generation.
Fast, low-friction interface: minimal signup friction; the free tier is ready for quick use.

These strengths make Finviz a common starting point for retail research and initial idea filtering.

Limitations and criticisms

Common limitations and criticisms raised in reviews and user feedback include:

Delayed free data: real-time quotes are restricted to Elite subscribers.
Charting is functional but not as advanced as specialized chart platforms that offer custom indicators and multi-chart layouts.
Learning curve for advanced filters and pattern detection for users new to screening logic.
Elite cost vs alternatives: some users prefer broker-native screeners or chart-first services depending on trading needs.

As of June 2024, reviewers commonly recommend using Finviz for screening and visualization, then moving to a dedicated charting or broker platform for final trade execution and advanced technical setups.

Competitors and alternatives

Finviz occupies a specific niche: a fast visual screener with a generous free tier. Alternatives focus on other strengths:

Chart-first platforms (e.g., TradingView) emphasize interactive charting, scripting and social integrations.
Fundamental research platforms (e.g., Stock Rover) provide deep financial modeling and screening for long-term investors.
Broker screeners: many brokerage platforms provide integrated screeners and direct execution.

Compared with these, finviz stock emphasizes speed, visual discovery and a user-friendly free experience rather than full-featured charting or direct trading.

When deciding on a platform mix, many users combine Finviz’s screening with a charting platform and an execution venue such as Bitget to cover research, analysis and order placement.

Reception and independent reviews

Independent outlets consistently praise Finviz for the free screener and visualization tools while noting limitations around delayed data and chart depth.

As of June 2024, StockBrokers.com noted in its review that Finviz offers one of the most usable free screeners and recommended Elite for traders needing real-time data and alerts.
As of May 2024, The Motley Fool’s explainer highlighted Finviz’s utility for quickly scanning markets and finding actionable ideas via presets and heatmaps.
As of April 2024, Yahoo Finance’s platform review compared Finviz’s free visual tools favorably against alternatives while pointing out the need for dedicated charting tools for advanced traders.

These reviews converge on the same practical guidance: Finviz is ideal for fast idea generation and market scanning; for time-sensitive or execution-focused trading, combine it with a real-time execution platform.

Privacy, security and legal

Finviz requires basic account information for saved screens and portfolios. Key points:

Account requirements: an email and password for saved features; limited research functions are accessible without an account.
Data handling: Finviz aggregates public market data and news feeds; users should consult the platform’s privacy policy for specifics on data use.
Disclaimers: Finviz and reviewers explicitly state that the platform does not provide personalized investment advice—users must verify time-sensitive quotes via a broker or exchange before trading.

For security-conscious users managing on-chain assets or linking web3 wallets, consider Bitget Wallet as a recommended custody option when pairing research with execution in a web3 context.

Tutorials and learning resources

New users can learn finviz stock through a combination of official help pages, community tutorials and video walkthroughs.

Official help: Finviz provides documentation and basic guides inside the site.
Community tutorials: numerous video walkthroughs show step-by-step screener builds and example workflows (search "FINVIZ Stock Screener Tutorial" on video platforms to see real-time demonstrations).
Practice: replicate common screens (value, growth, dividend, momentum) and save results to a watchlist or portfolio to learn how filters interact.

As of June 2024, many video tutorials remain current for foundational features, though Elite-specific functionality and pricing should be verified against official materials.

References

Finviz official documentation and product pages (accessed June 2024). As of June 2024, Finviz’s public product pages describe the free and Elite tiers, the screener, heatmaps and quote pages.
StockBrokers.com review (report published June 2024) — independent review summarizing pros and cons and noting Elite features and pricing context.
The Motley Fool explainer "What is FinViz?" (published May 2024) — overview of platform features and how investors use the tool.
Yahoo Finance platform review (published April 2024) — comparative review highlighting visual tools and data timeliness.
FINVIZ Stock Screener Tutorial (video, published 2022–2023) — community tutorial demonstrating practical screener workflows and presets.

(Readers should consult the original sources for the most recent, date-stamped information and pricing details.)

Notes on data and timeliness

As of June 2024, major outlet reviews emphasize that Finviz’s free tier uses delayed exchange data (roughly 15–20 minutes delayed) and that Elite unlocks real-time quotes and faster refresh rates.
Quantifiable scope: Finviz’s coverage includes thousands of U.S. equities and ETFs (commonly cited in reviews as between 6,000 and 8,000 tickers depending on current listings), making it suitable for cross-sectional screening.

Final guidance — further exploration

Finviz is a high-value, low-friction research tool for retail investors, traders and analysts who need fast screening and visual discovery. Use finviz stock to generate ideas, verify signals and monitor sectors—then confirm time-sensitive data via an execution platform. For traders and web3-focused investors ready to trade, consider Bitget for order execution and Bitget Wallet for custody and cross-asset integration.

Explore more practical guides and tutorials to master screens and heatmaps, and keep pricing and feature changes under periodic review by checking official platform announcements.

Ready to turn ideas into orders? Build your first saved screen in finviz stock, track candidates for 30 days, then connect your research to a trading workflow—consider exploring Bitget’s trading and wallet tools to execute and manage positions.

The content above has been sourced from the internet and generated using AI. For high-quality content, please visit Bitget Academy.