MoatScopeJames Whitfield
Valuation & Fair Value Methodology
James writes about intrinsic value, valuation frameworks, and the art of determining what a business is actually worth.
Articles (51)
Price vs. Fair Value: How MoatScope Estimates Worth
How MoatScope calculates fair value using owner earnings, and what the P/FV ratio tells you about a stock's valuation.
What Causes a Currency Crisis?
Understand the mechanics of currency crises, the warning signs that precede them, and how they affect stock markets and international investments.
Lessons from the Dot-Com Bubble
What the dot-com crash of 2000 teaches today's investors about speculation, valuation discipline, and investing in transformative technology at the wrong price.
Why CEO Succession Planning Matters for Investors
Learn why CEO transitions are among the highest-risk events for shareholders, how to assess a company's succession readiness, and what history teaches about leadership changes.
How Subscription Business Models Create Value
Understand why subscription businesses command premium valuations, how recurring revenue changes a company's economics, and when subscriptions create or destroy moats.
What Is a Corporate Spin-Off?
Learn what spin-offs are, why companies do them, and why spin-off stocks have historically been among the best-performing investments.
What Drives Stock Prices?
Understand the fundamental and psychological forces that move stock prices, from earnings and interest rates to sentiment and supply-demand dynamics.
How Treasury Yields Affect Stock Prices
Understand the relationship between Treasury bond yields and stock market valuations, and why rising rates pressure some stocks more than others.
Free Cash Flow Yield: How to Screen for Cash-Rich Businesses
Free cash flow yield reveals how much real cash a business generates relative to its price. Learn to use it as a powerful screening filter.
The Benjamin Graham Screener: Does It Still Work?
Benjamin Graham's net-net and defensive investor screens explained — the original criteria, how to apply them today, and whether they still work.
The Magic Formula Screener: Greenblatt Explained
Joel Greenblatt's Magic Formula ranks stocks by earnings yield and return on capital. Learn how it works and how to screen for it.
Peter Lynch's Stock Screening Criteria in the Modern Market
Peter Lynch's practical approach to finding stocks — PEG ratio, earnings growth, and the six stock categories — applied to modern screening.
Quality Stocks at 52-Week Lows: Opportunity or Trap?
When high-quality stocks hit 52-week lows, it can signal opportunity or danger. Learn how to tell the difference and screen for bargains.
Stock Screening Strategies That Actually Work
Proven stock screening strategies for finding quality investments — from Buffett-style quality screens to dividend growth and deep value approaches.
The Piotroski F-Score: What It Is and How to Use It
The Piotroski F-Score rates stocks 0–9 on financial strength. Learn the nine signals, how to calculate it, and how to use it as a screener.
What Is the Sharpe Ratio? Measuring Risk-Adjusted Returns
Learn what the Sharpe ratio is, how it's calculated, and how to use it to compare risk-adjusted returns.
What Is the CAPE Ratio? Shiller PE Explained
Learn what the CAPE ratio is, how it differs from the standard PE ratio, what it tells you about future returns, and how to use it without misapplying it.
What Is EV/EBITDA? A Professional's Metric
Learn what EV/EBITDA means, why Wall Street uses it more than the PE ratio, how to calculate it, and when it gives you a clearer picture of value.
What Is a Contrarian Investor? Why It Works
Learn what contrarian investing is, why going against consensus can generate superior returns, and how to do it wisely.
What Is Free Cash Flow Yield? A Key Metric
Learn what free cash flow yield is, why investors prefer it to earnings yield, and how to use it to find value.
What Is Book Value? Assets Minus Liabilities per Share
Book value is a company's net asset value on the balance sheet. Learn how it's calculated, what it tells you, and why it has limits for quality investors.
What Is Mean Reversion? Why Extremes Don't Last
Mean reversion is the tendency for prices and fundamentals to return to their average. Learn how it works in markets and why it matters for valuation.
What Is a Catalyst? Stock Price Triggers Explained
A catalyst is an event that moves a stock price. Learn the types of catalysts, why they matter for timing, and why quality investors don't depend on them.
What Is a DCF Valuation? Discounted Cash Flow Explained
A DCF estimates a stock's value by projecting future cash flows and discounting them to today. Learn the method, its strengths, and its limitations.
Buffett's Owner Earnings: The Metric He Trusts Most
Buffett prefers owner earnings over reported EPS. Learn what owner earnings are, how to calculate them, and why Buffett considers them more honest.
How Buffett Uses Margin of Safety to Reduce Risk
Buffett never buys without a margin of safety. Learn how he applies this principle, how much margin he requires, and why it's his core risk management.
Why Buffett Prefers Quality Over Cheap Prices
Buffett evolved from buying cheap stocks to buying great businesses. Learn why he made this shift and how it changed his investment results forever.
What Is the Piotroski F-Score? A Quality Checklist
The F-Score uses 9 accounting signals to measure financial strength. Learn how it works, how to calculate it, and how quality investors use it.
What Is a Spin-Off? Why Quality Investors Pay Attention
A spin-off creates a new public company from an existing one. Learn how they work, why they often outperform, and how to evaluate them.
What Is Shareholders' Equity? Book Value Explained
Shareholders' equity is what's left for owners after paying all debts. Learn how it's calculated, what it tells you, and when it's misleading.
How to Value Growth Stocks Without Overpaying
Growth stocks are hard to value because their worth depends on the future. Learn practical approaches to determining fair value for fast-growing companies.
What Is Depreciation? Why Investors Need to Understand It
Depreciation is a non-cash expense that reduces reported earnings. Learn how it works, why it matters for valuation, and how it connects to cash flow.
Warren Buffett's Investing Principles: A Practical Guide
Buffett's investment success comes from a few core principles anyone can apply. Learn the rules he follows and how to use them in your own portfolio.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S): When to Use It
The P/S ratio compares stock price to revenue. Learn when it's useful (unprofitable companies), when it misleads, and how to interpret it properly.
PEG Ratio Explained: P/E Adjusted for Growth
The PEG ratio adjusts the P/E ratio for earnings growth. Learn how it works, what a good PEG looks like, and why it's still an incomplete tool.
Fundamental Analysis: How to Value Stocks Like a Pro
Fundamental analysis evaluates a stock by studying the business behind it. Learn the key steps, metrics, and how it differs from technical analysis.
How Interest Rates Affect the Stock Market
Interest rates influence stock prices, valuations, and corporate profits. Learn the mechanics of how rate changes ripple through the market.
What Is Enterprise Value? Beyond Market Cap
Enterprise value measures the total cost to acquire a business — debt included. Learn how it's calculated and when to use it instead of market cap.
What Is EBITDA? A Plain-English Explanation
EBITDA strips a business down to its operating cash generation. Learn how it's calculated, when it's useful, and its important limitations.
How to Tell If a Stock Is Overvalued
Overpaying for even great businesses destroys returns. Learn the warning signs of overvaluation and how to avoid paying too much for any stock.
How to Spot a Value Trap Before It's Too Late
A value trap is a stock that looks cheap but keeps declining. Learn the warning signs that separate genuine bargains from disguised losers.
Price-to-Book Ratio: What It Means for Investors
The price-to-book ratio compares stock price to book value. Learn how P/B works, when it's useful, and why it misleads for modern businesses.
P/E Ratio Explained: What It Tells You (and What It Doesn't)
The P/E ratio is the most popular stock metric — and the most misused. Learn how it works, its limitations, and when to look beyond it.
Growth vs. Value Investing: Which Strategy Is Better?
Growth and value investing are often presented as opposites. The truth is more nuanced. Learn how both work and why quality is what actually matters.
What Is Intrinsic Value? How to Think About Stock Worth
Intrinsic value is what a stock is actually worth based on business fundamentals. Learn what it means, how it's estimated, and why it matters.
Owner Earnings vs. Free Cash Flow: What's the Difference?
Owner earnings and free cash flow are related but not identical. Learn how each is calculated, when to use which, and why Buffett prefers owner earnings.
Best Free Stock Screeners for Value Investors (2026)
The best free stock screeners for value investors compared — Finviz, Stock Analysis, Simply Wall St, Morningstar, and MoatScope ranked by features.
What Is Value Investing? A Beginner's Guide
Value investing means buying stocks for less than they're worth. Learn the principles, key metrics, and how to get started with a value investing strategy.
Margin of Safety Explained: How Much Discount Do You Need?
The margin of safety is the most important concept in value investing. Learn what it means, how to calculate it, and how much buffer you need.
How to Calculate the Fair Value of a Stock
Calculate a stock's fair value using owner earnings and a three-scenario approach. Use fair value as a screener to find undervalued companies.
How to Find Undervalued Stocks
A practical framework for finding high-quality businesses trading below intrinsic value — combining quality analysis, fair value, and margin of safety.