What is a moat and why does it matter?+
A moat is a durable competitive advantage that lets a company earn above-average returns on capital for a long period of time. Warren Buffett popularized the term. Moats matter because they determine whether a company's profits are likely to persist or get competed away. We rate every analyzed stock as Wide, Narrow, or None based on the evidence for its moat.
How are MoatScope quality scores calculated?+
Quality is scored across seven pillars including profitability, capital efficiency, balance sheet strength, growth consistency, margin stability, cash conversion, and capital allocation. Each pillar is scored 0–100 and weighted to produce an overall quality score. Full methodology is on the Methodology page.
How do you calculate fair value?+
We compute Owner Earnings as Net Income plus Depreciation & Amortization minus Preferred Dividends minus Capital Expenditures. We apply three earnings multipliers (Conservative, Base, Optimistic), add back net cash, and divide by shares outstanding to produce per-share fair value estimates. The exact multipliers are proprietary, but the framework is transparent.
Why do some stocks not have a moat rating or fair value?+
We only rate stocks for which we have sufficient financial history and a reasonable basis for analysis. New listings, shell companies, certain special purpose vehicles, and foreign issuers without full US reporting may not be analyzable. We currently cover 2,600+ US stocks with full ratings.
Where does MoatScope's data come from?+
Fundamental data (income statement, balance sheet, cash flow, shares outstanding) comes from SEC EDGAR — we read XBRL filings directly. Real-time and end-of-day prices come from Tiingo. Company profiles (name, industry, logo) come from Finnhub. Our moat ratings and quality scores are proprietary.
How often is data updated?+
Prices refresh every 5 minutes for S&P 500 stocks and every 15 minutes for the full universe during market hours, with a final settled-close update after 6pm ET. Fundamentals update when companies file with the SEC, typically within 24 hours of the filing being available on EDGAR.
Is MoatScope suitable for short-term trading?+
No. MoatScope is built for investors who care about business quality and long-term fair value. If you're day trading, momentum trading, or trading options, this is not the right tool for you.
Do you cover international stocks?+
Not yet. We currently focus on US-listed stocks where the SEC filing regime gives us high-quality standardized data. International coverage is on our roadmap, subject to data feed availability.
Can I export data?+
Pro and Max users can export screener results for use in spreadsheets. We don't support bulk data downloads — MoatScope is a research tool, not a data vendor.
What's the difference between the free trial and the free tier?+
The free trial is a 14-day full-access trial of MoatScope Pro with no credit card required. When the trial ends, your account reverts to the free tier, which includes the Dow 30, the scatter plot, and full blog access — but not the full universe, fair value estimates, or full moat reasoning.
Is my payment information secure?+
Yes. All payments go through Stripe, a PCI-DSS Level 1 certified payment processor. MoatScope never sees or stores your card details. We receive only a customer ID and subscription status from Stripe.
Can I cancel anytime?+
Yes. Cancel from your profile at any time. You'll keep full access through the end of your current billing period, then your account reverts to the free tier.
Do you offer refunds?+
We offer a 14-day free trial so you can fully evaluate the product before paying. We don't generally issue refunds after billing, but if something has genuinely gone wrong, contact us and we'll make it right.
Who is behind MoatScope?+
MoatScope is a product of Four Seas Labs. More on the About page.
Is MoatScope giving me investment advice?+
No. MoatScope is a research and information tool. Nothing on the site is investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. See our Disclaimer.