Benjamin Graham's Stock-Picking Strategies
Plenty of Web sites have stock screens based on methods established by the father of securities analysis.
Is there a Web site for stock screening that uses Benjamin Graham's value-investing rules?
Benjamin Graham, the father of securities analysis, outlined his stock-picking strategies in The Intelligent Investor, published in 1949, and those strategies have been widely disseminated -- including on the Internet -- ever since.
Graham advocated buying a stock at a price well below the company's intrinsic value. His goal was to get a dollar of assets for less than 50 cents. That discount gives investors a margin of safety, which insulates them from the whims of the market.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Be a smarter, better informed investor.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Plenty of Web sites have screens based on Graham's methods. For example, he prized companies with net cash holdings (cash minus outstanding debt) equal to at least 50% of their stock-market value.Nasdaq's Web site offers a free Graham screener that selects Nasdaq-traded stocks that pass the test.
Morningstar.com offers a customized screen that applies a broader array of Graham's criteria. The screen is part of Morningstar's premium membership, which costs $15.95 per month, or $145 for one year. Or, for less than $20, buy The Intelligent Investor and create your own Graham-inspired screens at Kiplinger.com or Yahoo Finance.
A word of caution: Graham's criteria can lead you to stocks that are value traps, meaning the shares are cheap for good reason and unlikely to appreciate. Screens are a good place to start, but don't buy without doing your research.
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

As the "Ask Kim" columnist for Kiplinger's Personal Finance, Lankford receives hundreds of personal finance questions from readers every month. She is the author of Rescue Your Financial Life (McGraw-Hill, 2003), The Insurance Maze: How You Can Save Money on Insurance -- and Still Get the Coverage You Need (Kaplan, 2006), Kiplinger's Ask Kim for Money Smart Solutions (Kaplan, 2007) and The Kiplinger/BBB Personal Finance Guide for Military Families. She is frequently featured as a financial expert on television and radio, including NBC's Today Show, CNN, CNBC and National Public Radio.
-
Ready to File? Test Your Social Security Application IQQuiz Test your basic knowledge of filing for Social Security benefits in our 10 question quick quiz.
-
A Vacation Home Sounds Dreamy, But Is It the Right Move for You?A vacation home can be a relaxing getaway or a financial burden. Learn the pros and cons of owning a second home and how to decide if it fits your goals.
-
How to Invest for Rising Data Integrity RiskAmid a broad assault on venerable institutions, President Trump has targeted agencies responsible for data critical to markets. How should investors respond?
-
What Tariffs Mean for Your Sector ExposureNew, higher and changing tariffs will ripple through the economy and into share prices for many quarters to come.
-
How to Invest for Fall Rate Cuts by the FedThe probability the Fed cuts interest rates by 25 basis points in October is now greater than 90%.
-
Are Buffett and Berkshire About to Bail on Kraft Heinz Stock?Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway own a lot of Kraft Heinz stock, so what happens when they decide to sell KHC?
-
How the Stock Market Performed in the First 6 Months of Trump's Second TermSix months after President Donald Trump's inauguration, take a look at how the stock market has performed.
-
Fed Leaves Rates Unchanged: What the Experts Are SayingFederal Reserve As widely expected, the Federal Open Market Committee took a 'wait-and-see' approach toward borrowing costs.
-
Fed Sees Fewer Rate Cuts in 2025: What the Experts Are SayingFederal Reserve The Federal Reserve cut interest rates as expected, but the future path of borrowing costs became more opaque.
-
Fed Cuts Rates Again: What the Experts Are SayingFederal Reserve The central bank continued to ease, but a new administration in Washington clouds the outlook for future policy moves.