Frequently Asked Questions

The UQS (Universal Quality Screening Score) evaluates stocks from 0 to 100 using 29 financial metrics across 5 core pillars: Quality, Moat, Growth, Risk, and Valuation. Pro users can enable a 6th pillar (Momentum) for price action and earnings momentum analysis. Scoring thresholds are calibrated per sector for fair cross-industry comparison.

Each pillar is scored 0–100 based on multiple metrics. Quality (6 metrics): ROIC, ROE, Operating Margin, Net Profit Margin, Gross Profit/Total Assets, FCF Yield. Moat (5 dimensions): user-rated competitive advantages. Growth (5 metrics): TTM Revenue Growth, 3Y CAGR, TTM EPS Growth, Forward Revenue Growth, Forward EPS Growth. Risk (5 metrics): Net Debt/EBITDA, Debt/Equity, Current Ratio, Interest Coverage, Altman Z-Score. Valuation (4 metrics): Earnings Yield, Price-to-FCF, PEG Ratio, EV/EBITDA vs Sector Median. Momentum (4 metrics, Pro): SMA 50/200 Ratio, 52-Week Range, Relative Strength vs S&P 500, Earnings Estimate Revision. If a metric is unavailable, its weight is redistributed proportionally. Pillar scores are combined using preset weights — Balanced uses Q25% M25% G20% R15% V15%.

Presets are pre-configured pillar weight distributions inspired by famous investment philosophies. For example, the 'Buffett Inspired' preset emphasizes Quality and Moat, while 'Cathie Wood Inspired' heavily weights Growth. These are not official endorsements — they reflect general investment philosophies associated with these investors.

Yes (Pro feature). You can adjust all five pillar weights using the sliders in the dashboard. Weights automatically normalize to 100%. When Momentum is enabled, it gets a fixed 10% and the other pillars scale proportionally. You can also rate a company's moat manually across five competitive advantage categories.

The Moat pillar is the only subjective component. You rate a company across five categories (0–20 each): Switching Costs, Network Effects, Cost Advantage, Intangible Assets/IP, and Scale/Ecosystem. This gives you a moat score out of 100.

The Risk pillar is inversely scored — lower risk produces a higher score. It evaluates five sub-metrics: financial leverage (Net Debt/EBITDA, 30%), capital structure (Debt/Equity ratio, 20%), liquidity (Current Ratio, 20%), debt servicing ability (Interest Coverage, 15%), and financial stability (Altman Z-Score or Piotroski F-Score, 15%). Thresholds are sector-calibrated — e.g. industrials can carry more leverage than tech companies. A company with low debt, strong liquidity, and high financial stability scores high.

Financial data is sourced from Financial Modeling Prep (FMP). This includes company fundamentals, financial statements, ratios, analyst estimates, and historical prices. The UQS Score itself is calculated independently by UQS Score.

Stock data is refreshed regularly. Fundamental data (revenue, margins, ratios) changes primarily during quarterly earnings periods. Price data is updated more frequently. The UQS Score is recalculated automatically when data updates.

The Valuation pillar measures whether a stock is fairly priced relative to its fundamentals. It uses 4 metrics: Earnings Yield (inverse of forward P/E — higher yield means cheaper), Price-to-FCF (how many years of cash flow the price represents), PEG Ratio (P/E relative to earnings growth — lower is better), and EV/EBITDA vs Sector Median (enterprise value multiple compared to sector peers). All metrics use null-weight redistribution when data is unavailable.

Scoring thresholds are adjusted per sector category (Technology, Consumer, Industrial, Financial) so stocks are compared fairly within their industry context. For example, a 15% operating margin is excellent for retail but average for SaaS. A Net Debt/EBITDA of 4x is normal for utilities but risky for tech. This prevents industrials from being penalized by tech-centric benchmarks, and vice versa.

Momentum is an optional 6th pillar available exclusively to Pro users. It measures price action and earnings momentum using 4 metrics: 50/200-day Moving Average Ratio (trend strength), 52-Week Range Position (where the price sits relative to its annual range), 6-Month Relative Strength vs S&P 500 (outperformance vs the market), and Earnings Estimate Revision (whether analyst estimates are trending up or down). When enabled, Momentum gets 10% weight and the other pillars scale proportionally to 90%. Based on academic research by Jegadeesh & Titman, George & Hwang, and Park (2005).

No. UQS Score is a scoring and analysis tool for educational and informational purposes only. It is not financial advice. You should always do your own research and consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. See our Disclaimer page for full details.

Free users get 3 analyses per day, 10-stock watchlist, 5 portfolio holdings, Balanced preset only, 3-month score history, and 1 AI Moat assessment per month. Pro users ($6.99/month or $5/month billed annually) get unlimited analyses, 50-stock watchlist, 50 portfolio holdings, all 6 presets with custom weights, full score history, unlimited AI Moat, AI Insights, Batch Analysis, price charts, and score change alerts.

The Portfolio tab lets you track your real stock holdings. Add stocks, ETFs, crypto (e.g. BTCUSD), and commodities (e.g. GCUSD) with buy prices to see your portfolio's weighted UQS Score, performance vs the S&P 500, sector allocation, top/bottom performers, and estimated dividends. Track buy and sell transactions with the average cost method. Free users can add up to 5 holdings, Pro users up to 50.

Batch Analysis lets you compare up to 10 stocks side by side in one click. Enter multiple tickers and see each stock's UQS Score, pillar breakdown, and Consensus score — how all 6 investor presets rate the stock. This is a Pro-only feature, ideal for screening and building a shortlist.

Score History shows how a stock's UQS Score has changed over time in a visual chart. You can track trends in Quality, Moat, Growth, and Risk scores separately. Free users see the last 3 months of history, Pro users get the full history.

AI Moat uses artificial intelligence to assess a company's competitive advantages across 5 dimensions: Switching Costs, Network Effects, Cost Advantage, Intangible Assets, and Scale/Ecosystem. Each dimension receives a score (0–20) with a one-sentence justification. You can apply the AI suggestion or manually adjust the scores. Free users get 1 AI Moat assessment per month (resets on the 1st), Pro users get unlimited.

AI Insights provides a written analysis of a stock from the perspective of your selected investor preset. For example, selecting the Buffett preset generates an analysis focused on quality and competitive moats, while the Cathie Wood preset focuses on innovation and growth potential. This is a Pro-only feature available in the Analyze tab.

Score Alerts notify you when a stock in your portfolio has a significant UQS Score change (more than 5 points). Alerts appear as a badge on the Portfolio tab and show which stock changed, the old and new score, and which pillar drove the change. This is a Pro-only feature.

UQS Score currently covers US-listed stocks available through Financial Modeling Prep's data. This includes major exchanges like NYSE and NASDAQ. We plan to expand coverage to European and international markets in the future.

Scores range from 0–100. Excellent (75+) indicates a stock that scores very well on the selected criteria. Good (55–74) suggests solid fundamentals. Average (35–54) means mixed signals. Weak (below 35) indicates significant concerns in the measured areas.