Below are a few tips that will help you understand and better use some of the tools available on this site. If after reading this information, your question is still not answered, please contact us with your question using our contact us page by clicking here.
What is a screener?
How does the Quick Screener differ from the Advanced Screener?
How do I use the Quick Screener?
How do I use the Advanced Screener?
On the Advanced Screener, why am I getting zero results?
How can I tell if my advance search is “over filtered?”
Can I tell how many possibilities there are for each category?
How many categories can I search?
I found a list of ETFs. Now what do I do?
How do I compare ETFs?
What is an Advanced Chart?
How do I use the Chart Indicators?
How do I compare a chart to a benchmark?
What is a screener?
A screener is a powerful search tool that helps you find important information to help you make important decisions. For example, on this site, the screeners can help you find things like all the ETFs issued by a specific company, or all the ETFs that focus on a specific sector of the economy such as healthcare, or even all the ETFs that have a 5-year average return of greater than 10%.
How does the Quick Screener differ from the Advanced Screener?
The Quick Screener is simpler than the advanced screener and has a number of prescreened searches available for you at the click of a mouse button. For example, on the Quick Screener page, in one mouse click, you can find all the ETFs for a specifically named issuer, or all the ETFs related to investments in China or Japan. In short, it is a fast and effective way of quickly finding ETFs in popular categories.
The Advanced Screener has all the capabilities of the quick screener, but many more. This screener allows the user to define multiple category screens all at one time. For example, with the Advanced Screener, a user can choose to screen for ETFs from a specific issuer and also choose only those ETFs that have had a one-year return greater than 10%. They could also add to that screen only the ETFs that have an expense ratio less than 0.75. All in all, there are 20 variables that can be screened by using the Advanced Screener.
How do I use the Quick Screener?
It is very easy, just go to the Quick Screener page by using the tab at the top of the Web site and click on the category for which you would like ETFs screened.
How do I use the Advanced Screener?
While the Advanced Screener might look difficult to use at first glance, please don’t be put off by it. It is really easy to use and is a very powerful way for you to screen for ETFs that meet your specific needs. To use the screener, check the boxes to the left of the categories you wish to screen the database with and then choose an option in the drop-down window or use the slide bars to define the upper and lower limits of each category. You may choose as many, or as few, categories with which you wish to screen the database; however, be careful, because if you choose too many categories, you may “over filter” the results. To better understand over filtering, please read the next paragraph on, “why am I getting zero results?”
On the Advanced Screener, why am I getting zero results?
Because the Advanced Screener is so powerful, and screens so effectively for so many categories, it is easy to create a condition called, “over filtering.” Over filtering happens when the screener is asked to filter too many categories at the same time or when some of the categories are too tightly controlled with the slide bars, that no ETFs actually meet all of the criteria specified.
For example, at present, there are over 800 ETFs available for investors to search. Let’s say that for our first category screen, we will screen for all of the ETFs that a specific company has issued by using the issuer category at the top of the screener. After the screen, we are left with 75 ETFs that meet this condition. Now, we want to find all the ETFs in that basket of 75 that have total assets greater than $100 million and less than $500 million. To do this, we set the left side of the total assets bar at 100 and the right side at 200 (since this category indicated that it is already set for millions. This now might yield a result of 12 ETF that meet all three of these criteria. Now, we pick a fourth category to screen that looks at each of these 12 ETFs for 5-year average returns great than 10%. After this category is added to the list of screener requests, only 2 ETFs remain. If we continue, the next category, no matter what it is, will probably yield a result of zero. Why? Because we have “over filtered” the universe of possible results-we are just asking for too many things and no ETF meets all of our category requirements.
In short, as the number of categories you decide to screen for increases, the greater chance that you will get fewer and fewer ETFs to choose from, and usually after a few categories are chosen, the finally results are zero ETFs.
How can I tell if my advance search is “over filtered?”
The Search Results indicator at the center of the top and bottom of the page will show 0 results.
Can I tell how many possibilities there are for each category?
Yes, if you check the box to the left of a category and then choose an option from the drop down menu, or use the slide bars to set upper and lower limits, the total possible results for that category for option/limits chosen will be shown on the right side of the screener next to that category. It is important to understand that this is all the possible results available for that specific category with no other constraints being taken into consideration form other categories chosen. If other categories are chosen, the total results will most likely decrease or become zero. To determine this, you have to look at the Search Results at the top or bottom of the page.
How many categories can I search?
There are 20 different categories that are available to search for ETF’s. These categories are listed below in a brief definition of each is given:
| General | |
|---|---|
| Issuer | An issuer is the name of the company who has created the ETF. |
| Sector | A narrowly defined segment of all ETFs in the market that share a common theme such as, the technology or healthcare. |
| Asset Class | Divides ETFs into equity or fixed income holdings. |
| Fund Category | A different category of economic break out than sector that includes things such as economic regions, industries, or types of securities held like commodities. |
| Country | The countries from which the holdings within the fund originate. Often the results have partial country percentages of holdings. In other words, an ETF might be made up of holdings from three different countries and the percentage of each country represented may vary. To determine this, please see the profile page for the specific ETF in question. To see the profile page, just click on any hyperlinked ticker symbol or type a ticker symbol into a search box. |
| Total Assets | The combined total asset value of all holdings within the fund. |
| Expense Ratio | The estimate of expenses charged for operation of the fund on a percentage basis annually. |
| Holdings | The individual securities which represent the investments held by the fund. |
| - Mkt Cap | The relative size of the assets of the individual holdings within the fund. |
| - Style | The investment philosophy of the fund |
| Date of Inception | The date the fund was made available to trade. |
| Fundamentals | |
| Beta | A statistical measure of the relative volatility of an ETF in comparison with the market as a whole. The beta for the market is 1.00. Stocks with betas above 1.0 are more responsive to the market, but are also more risky investments. Stocks with a beta below 1.0 tend to move in the opposite direction of the market. For example, if the market moves 10%, a stock with a beta of 3.00 will move 30%; a stock with a beta of .5 will move 5%. |
| Price to Earnings Ratio (P/E) | The ratio of the price per share over the earnings per share of the fund. |
| Price to Book Ratio (P/B) | The ratio of the price per share over the book value per share of the fund. |
| Returns (Values in %) | |
| YTD | The rate of return of the fund from the first trading day of the current year. |
| One Month | The most recent one-month rate of return of the fund. |
| Three Month | The most recent three-month rate of return of the fund. |
| One Year | The most recent one-year rate of return of the fund. |
| Three Year | The most recent three-year rate of return of the fund. |
| Five Year | The most recent five year rate of return of the fund. |
| Since Inception | The rate of return of the fund since its inception. |
I found a list of ETFs. Now what do I do?
You may select an individual ETF profile by clicking on the ticker symbol to display the profile page, or you may compare up to 4 ETFs.
How do I compare ETFs?
Once you have used the screener to obtain a list of ETF results, you can select up to 4 ETFs by checking the box at the far right of the screener results, and then click on the “compare” button at the right top or bottom of the page. This will then give you a side-by-side comparison of the chosen funds. Additionally if you would like further information about any of the individual ETFs you may click on the ticker to review its individual profile and fro there, you can click on the Advanced Chart option in the upper left of the page for further charting information.
What is an Advanced Chart?
An advanced chart offers the opportunity to review an ETF chart using different time intervals, benchmarks and, technical indicators for a detailed technical analysis of a fund.
How do I use the Chart Indicators?
Two different chart indicators are available for any ETF advanced chart in the drop down menus at the bottom of the page. For example, you may elect to review the MACD indicator, and also the Money Flow Index. Additionally, notice there is a compare box, to the right of the drop down indicator menus. You may type any ETF, stock or index ticker, and compare that chart against the ETF you are studying.
How do I compare a chart to a benchmark?
Simply use the drop down menu to the right of the time/frequency/scale drop down menus above the chart graphic to select the benchmark to compare with your chart.
