Stock picker · Shorted

Quality compounders

Profitable businesses that earn a high return on equity, turn their profit into cash and carry little debt, while the share price holds a long-term uptrend.

Prices to · fundamentals for 411 of 2,262 stocks (growth figures for 150) · ASIC shorts T+4 · Not financial advice

Market regime · S&P/ASX 200 (XJO)

Downtrendas of
Close
8,679.7
vs 50-day
−3.2%
vs 200-day
−1.6%
Off 52w high
−6.6%

Caution: XJO is below its 200-day average. This strategy does not require a rising market, but follow-through is weaker in a falling one.

Ranked picks

PassFailUnknown (data missing, or not meaningful for this company)

Dots follow the rule order: 1 High return on equity · 2 Healthy profit margin · 3 Profit that turns into cash · 4 Little debt · 5 Liquid enough to trade · 6 Long-term uptrend · 7 Revenue not shrinking. Hover a dot for the evidence.

Showing 20 of 1,171 ranked stocks. Triggered and setup first; watch names fill the list to 20.

Quality compounders: ranked ASX picks
RankStockStatusRulesClosePivot
1CDA
Fundamentals
Net margin
20.0%
FCF margin
21.3%
P/E
54.2×
Revenue growth
Year to 30 Jun 2026
EPS growth
12 months to 30 Jun 2026
Fetched
Full financials
Watch
  • 1. High return on equity: unknown. Return on equity cannot be measured: it needs net profit, equity at both ends of the year and, outside banks, insurers and other financials, equity of at least 10% of total assets
  • 2. Healthy profit margin: pass. Net margin 20.0% (FY ending 2026-06-30)
  • 3. Profit that turns into cash: pass. Free cash flow is 1.06x net profit (FY ending 2026-06-30)
  • 4. Little debt: unknown. Net debt cannot be measured: no aligned balance sheet with debt and cash
  • 5. Liquid enough to trade: pass. A$44.5m average daily turnover over 20 sessions
  • 6. Long-term uptrend: pass. Close A$51.99 vs 200-day average A$39.34 (+32.2%)
  • 7. Revenue not shrinking: pass. Revenue +29.8% YoY (FY ending 2026-06-30), accelerating from +22.5%
$51.99$53.62
2CDO
Fundamentals
Net margin
65.0%
FCF margin
175.4%
P/E
6.3×
Revenue growth
Year to 30 Jun 2026
EPS growth
12 months to 30 Jun 2026
Fetched
Full financials
Watch
  • 1. High return on equity: unknown. Return on equity cannot be measured: it needs net profit, equity at both ends of the year and, outside banks, insurers and other financials, equity of at least 10% of total assets
  • 2. Healthy profit margin: pass. Net margin 65.0% (12 months to 2026-06-30)
  • 3. Profit that turns into cash: pass. Free cash flow is 2.70x net profit (12 months to 2026-06-30)
  • 4. Little debt: unknown. Net debt cannot be measured: no aligned balance sheet with debt and cash
  • 5. Liquid enough to trade: fail. A$64k average daily turnover over 20 sessions, below the A$250k floor
  • 6. Long-term uptrend: pass. Close A$2.27 vs 200-day average A$2.15 (+5.4%)
  • 7. Revenue not shrinking: pass. Revenue +201.6% YoY (FY ending 2026-06-30)
$2.27$2.41
3SKS
Fundamentals
Net margin
7.7%
FCF margin
11.3%
P/E
44.2×
Revenue growth
Year to 30 Jun 2026
EPS growth
12 months to 30 Jun 2026
Fetched
Full financials
Watch
  • 1. High return on equity: unknown. Return on equity cannot be measured: it needs net profit, equity at both ends of the year and, outside banks, insurers and other financials, equity of at least 10% of total assets
  • 2. Healthy profit margin: fail. Net margin 7.7% (12 months to 2026-06-30), below the 10% threshold
  • 3. Profit that turns into cash: pass. Free cash flow is 1.46x net profit (12 months to 2026-06-30)
  • 4. Little debt: unknown. Net debt cannot be measured: no aligned balance sheet with debt and cash
  • 5. Liquid enough to trade: pass. A$6.3m average daily turnover over 20 sessions
  • 6. Long-term uptrend: pass. Close A$10.36 vs 200-day average A$6.55 (+58.1%)
  • 7. Revenue not shrinking: pass. Revenue +33.6% YoY (FY ending 2026-06-30)
$10.36$10.49
4ARG
Fundamentals
Net margin
90.8%
FCF margin
74.8%
P/E
26.6×
Revenue growth
Year to 30 Jun 2026
EPS growth
12 months to 30 Jun 2026
Fetched
Full financials
Watch
  • 1. High return on equity: unknown. Return on equity cannot be measured: it needs net profit, equity at both ends of the year and, outside banks, insurers and other financials, equity of at least 10% of total assets
  • 2. Healthy profit margin: pass. Net margin 90.8% (12 months to 2026-06-30)
  • 3. Profit that turns into cash: pass. Free cash flow is 0.82x net profit (12 months to 2026-06-30)
  • 4. Little debt: unknown. Net debt cannot be measured: no aligned balance sheet with debt and cash
  • 5. Liquid enough to trade: pass. A$2.9m average daily turnover over 20 sessions
  • 6. Long-term uptrend: pass. Close A$9.13 vs 200-day average A$9.01 (+1.4%)
  • 7. Revenue not shrinking: pass. Revenue +1.0% YoY (FY ending 2026-06-30)
$9.13$9.57
5RHC
Fundamentals
Net margin
1.8%
FCF margin
3.8%
P/E
40.9×
Revenue growth
12 months to 30 Jun 2026
EPS growth
12 months to 30 Jun 2026
Fetched
Full financials
Watch
  • 1. High return on equity: unknown. Return on equity cannot be measured: it needs net profit, equity at both ends of the year and, outside banks, insurers and other financials, equity of at least 10% of total assets
  • 2. Healthy profit margin: fail. Net margin 1.8% (12 months to 2026-06-30), below the 10% threshold
  • 3. Profit that turns into cash: pass. Free cash flow is 2.12x net profit (12 months to 2026-06-30)
  • 4. Little debt: unknown. Net debt cannot be measured: no aligned balance sheet with debt and cash
  • 5. Liquid enough to trade: pass. A$55.5m average daily turnover over 20 sessions
  • 6. Long-term uptrend: pass. Close A$55.56 vs 200-day average A$41.20 (+34.9%)
  • 7. Revenue not shrinking: pass. Revenue +4.4% YoY (12 months to 2026-06-30)
$55.56$55.98
6TLX
Fundamentals
Net margin
40.9%
Revenue growth
Year to 30 Jun 2025, company filing (extracted)
Fetched
Full financials
Watch
  • 1. High return on equity: unknown. Return on equity cannot be measured: it needs net profit, equity at both ends of the year and, outside banks, insurers and other financials, equity of at least 10% of total assets
  • 2. Healthy profit margin: pass. Net margin 40.9% (FY ending 2024-06-30)
  • 3. Profit that turns into cash: unknown. Free cash flow or net profit is missing for the period
  • 4. Little debt: unknown. Net debt cannot be measured: no aligned balance sheet with debt and cash
  • 5. Liquid enough to trade: pass. A$41.8m average daily turnover over 20 sessions
  • 6. Long-term uptrend: pass. Close A$16.09 vs 200-day average A$13.56 (+18.6%)
  • 7. Revenue not shrinking: pass. Revenue +2.6% YoY (FY ending 2025-06-30)
$16.09$18.22
7SOL
Fundamentals
Net margin
254.1%
FCF margin
−64.4%
P/E
7.3×
Revenue growth
Year to 31 Jul 2025
EPS growth
12 months to 31 Jan 2026
Fetched
Full financials
Watch
  • 1. High return on equity: unknown. Return on equity cannot be measured: it needs net profit, equity at both ends of the year and, outside banks, insurers and other financials, equity of at least 10% of total assets
  • 2. Healthy profit margin: pass. Net margin 254.1% (12 months to 2026-01-31)
  • 3. Profit that turns into cash: fail. Free cash flow is zero or negative while net profit is positive (12 months to 2026-01-31)
  • 4. Little debt: unknown. Net debt cannot be measured: no aligned balance sheet with debt and cash
  • 5. Liquid enough to trade: pass. A$24.9m average daily turnover over 20 sessions
  • 6. Long-term uptrend: pass. Close A$47.15 vs 200-day average A$41.79 (+12.8%)
  • 7. Revenue not shrinking: pass. Revenue +4.1% YoY (FY ending 2025-07-31)
$47.15$47.16
8N1H
Fundamentals
Net margin
20.5%
FCF margin
238.5%
P/E
12.2×
EPS growth
12 months to 30 Jun 2026
Fetched
Full financials
Watch
  • 1. High return on equity: unknown. Return on equity cannot be measured: it needs net profit, equity at both ends of the year and, outside banks, insurers and other financials, equity of at least 10% of total assets
  • 2. Healthy profit margin: pass. Net margin 20.5% (12 months to 2026-06-30)
  • 3. Profit that turns into cash: pass. Free cash flow is 11.63x net profit (12 months to 2026-06-30)
  • 4. Little debt: unknown. Net debt cannot be measured: no aligned balance sheet with debt and cash
  • 5. Liquid enough to trade: fail. A$1k average daily turnover over 20 sessions, below the A$250k floor
  • 6. Long-term uptrend: pass. Close A$0.14 vs 200-day average A$0.11 (+29.4%)
  • 7. Revenue not shrinking: unknown. No revenue growth figure yet
$0.14$0.15
9EVT
Fundamentals
Net margin
4.0%
FCF margin
9.5%
P/E
44.0×
Revenue growth
Year to 30 Jun 2026
EPS growth
12 months to 30 Jun 2026
Fetched
Full financials
Watch
  • 1. High return on equity: unknown. Return on equity cannot be measured: it needs net profit, equity at both ends of the year and, outside banks, insurers and other financials, equity of at least 10% of total assets
  • 2. Healthy profit margin: fail. Net margin 4.0% (FY ending 2026-06-30), below the 10% threshold
  • 3. Profit that turns into cash: pass. Free cash flow is 2.40x net profit (FY ending 2026-06-30)
  • 4. Little debt: unknown. Net debt cannot be measured: no aligned balance sheet with debt and cash
  • 5. Liquid enough to trade: pass. A$5.9m average daily turnover over 20 sessions
  • 6. Long-term uptrend: pass. Close A$13.69 vs 200-day average A$12.98 (+5.4%)
  • 7. Revenue not shrinking: pass. Revenue +7.1% YoY (FY ending 2026-06-30), accelerating from +0.5%
$13.69$16.15
10NWS
Fundamentals
Net margin
6.3%
FCF margin
9.0%
P/E
n/a (reports in USD)
Revenue growth
Year to 30 Jun 2026
EPS growth
12 months to 30 Jun 2026
Fetched
Full financials
Watch
  • 1. High return on equity: unknown. Return on equity cannot be measured: it needs net profit, equity at both ends of the year and, outside banks, insurers and other financials, equity of at least 10% of total assets
  • 2. Healthy profit margin: fail. Net margin 6.3% (FY ending 2026-06-30), below the 10% threshold
  • 3. Profit that turns into cash: pass. Free cash flow is 1.42x net profit (FY ending 2026-06-30)
  • 4. Little debt: unknown. Net debt cannot be measured: no aligned balance sheet with debt and cash
  • 5. Liquid enough to trade: pass. A$12.7m average daily turnover over 20 sessions
  • 6. Long-term uptrend: pass. Close A$45.13 vs 200-day average A$42.99 (+5.0%)
  • 7. Revenue not shrinking: pass. Revenue +6.8% YoY (FY ending 2026-06-30), accelerating from +2.4%
$45.13$49.31
11NCK
Fundamentals
Net margin
14.6%
FCF margin
25.4%
P/E
15.8×
Revenue growth
Year to 30 Jun 2026
EPS growth
12 months to 30 Jun 2026
Fetched
Full financials
Watch
  • 1. High return on equity: unknown. Return on equity cannot be measured: it needs net profit, equity at both ends of the year and, outside banks, insurers and other financials, equity of at least 10% of total assets
  • 2. Healthy profit margin: pass. Net margin 14.6% (FY ending 2026-06-30)
  • 3. Profit that turns into cash: pass. Free cash flow is 1.74x net profit (FY ending 2026-06-30)
  • 4. Little debt: unknown. Net debt cannot be measured: no aligned balance sheet with debt and cash
  • 5. Liquid enough to trade: pass. A$4.7m average daily turnover over 20 sessions
  • 6. Long-term uptrend: fail. Close A$13.95 vs 200-day average A$17.32 (-19.4%): not above the 200-day average
  • 7. Revenue not shrinking: pass. Revenue +4.3% YoY (FY ending 2026-06-30)
$13.95$18.40
12CDM
Fundamentals
Net margin
66.3%
FCF margin
266.6%
P/E
7.2×
EPS growth
12 months to 30 Jun 2026
Fetched
Full financials
Watch
  • 1. High return on equity: unknown. Return on equity cannot be measured: it needs net profit, equity at both ends of the year and, outside banks, insurers and other financials, equity of at least 10% of total assets
  • 2. Healthy profit margin: pass. Net margin 66.3% (12 months to 2026-06-30)
  • 3. Profit that turns into cash: pass. Free cash flow is 4.02x net profit (12 months to 2026-06-30)
  • 4. Little debt: unknown. Net debt cannot be measured: no aligned balance sheet with debt and cash
  • 5. Liquid enough to trade: fail. A$191k average daily turnover over 20 sessions, below the A$250k floor
  • 6. Long-term uptrend: pass. Close A$0.81 vs 200-day average A$0.78 (+3.8%)
  • 7. Revenue not shrinking: unknown. No revenue growth figure yet
$0.81$0.82
13NEU
Fundamentals
Net margin
47.1%
Fetched
Full financials
Watch
  • 1. High return on equity: unknown. Return on equity cannot be measured: it needs net profit, equity at both ends of the year and, outside banks, insurers and other financials, equity of at least 10% of total assets
  • 2. Healthy profit margin: pass. Net margin 47.1% (FY ending 2025-06-30)
  • 3. Profit that turns into cash: unknown. Free cash flow or net profit is missing for the period
  • 4. Little debt: unknown. Net debt cannot be measured: no aligned balance sheet with debt and cash
  • 5. Liquid enough to trade: pass. A$8.1m average daily turnover over 20 sessions
  • 6. Long-term uptrend: pass. Close A$19.82 vs 200-day average A$15.98 (+24.0%)
  • 7. Revenue not shrinking: unknown. No revenue growth figure yet
$19.82$23.76
14SDF
Fundamentals
Net margin
23.9%
FCF margin
n/m
Net debt / EBITDA
n/m
Fetched
Full financials
Watch
  • 1. High return on equity: unknown. Return on equity cannot be measured: it needs net profit, equity at both ends of the year and, outside banks, insurers and other financials, equity of at least 10% of total assets
  • 2. Healthy profit margin: pass. Net margin 23.9% (FY ending 2025-06-30)
  • 3. Profit that turns into cash: unknown. Not meaningful for banks, insurers and other financials, whose cash flows mix customers' money with their own
  • 4. Little debt: unknown. Not meaningful for banks, insurers and other financials, whose debt is the funding of their business
  • 5. Liquid enough to trade: pass. A$59.0m average daily turnover over 20 sessions
  • 6. Long-term uptrend: pass. Close A$5.75 vs 200-day average A$4.87 (+18.1%)
  • 7. Revenue not shrinking: unknown. No revenue growth figure yet
$5.75$5.85
15NMG
Fundamentals
Net margin
26.7%
FCF margin
−121.3%
Fetched
Full financials
Watch
  • 1. High return on equity: unknown. Return on equity cannot be measured: it needs net profit, equity at both ends of the year and, outside banks, insurers and other financials, equity of at least 10% of total assets
  • 2. Healthy profit margin: pass. Net margin 26.7% (FY ending 2025-09-30)
  • 3. Profit that turns into cash: fail. Free cash flow is zero or negative while net profit is positive (FY ending 2025-09-30)
  • 4. Little debt: unknown. Net debt cannot be measured: no aligned balance sheet with debt and cash
  • 5. Liquid enough to trade: pass. A$3.6m average daily turnover over 20 sessions
  • 6. Long-term uptrend: pass. Close A$0.07 vs 200-day average A$0.06 (+24.7%)
  • 7. Revenue not shrinking: unknown. No revenue growth figure yet
$0.07$0.09
16NHC
Fundamentals
Net margin
9.2%
FCF margin
21.2%
P/E
30.2×
Revenue growth
Year to 31 Jul 2026
EPS growth
12 months to 31 Jul 2026
Fetched
Full financials
Watch
  • 1. High return on equity: unknown. Return on equity cannot be measured: it needs net profit, equity at both ends of the year and, outside banks, insurers and other financials, equity of at least 10% of total assets
  • 2. Healthy profit margin: fail. Net margin 9.2% (FY ending 2026-07-31), below the 10% threshold
  • 3. Profit that turns into cash: pass. Free cash flow is 2.30x net profit (FY ending 2026-07-31)
  • 4. Little debt: unknown. Net debt cannot be measured: no aligned balance sheet with debt and cash
  • 5. Liquid enough to trade: pass. A$19.5m average daily turnover over 20 sessions
  • 6. Long-term uptrend: pass. Close A$5.73 vs 200-day average A$5.25 (+9.1%)
  • 7. Revenue not shrinking: fail. Revenue -0.2% YoY (FY ending 2026-07-31); revenue shrank
$5.73$6.61
17GMD
Fundamentals
Net margin
204.8%
EPS growth
Half year to 31 Dec 2025, company filing (extracted)
Fetched
Full financials
Watch
  • 1. High return on equity: unknown. Return on equity cannot be measured: it needs net profit, equity at both ends of the year and, outside banks, insurers and other financials, equity of at least 10% of total assets
  • 2. Healthy profit margin: pass. Net margin 204.8% (FY ending 2025-06-30)
  • 3. Profit that turns into cash: unknown. Free cash flow or net profit is missing for the period
  • 4. Little debt: unknown. Net debt cannot be measured: no aligned balance sheet with debt and cash
  • 5. Liquid enough to trade: pass. A$52.9m average daily turnover over 20 sessions
  • 6. Long-term uptrend: pass. Close A$7.21 vs 200-day average A$6.72 (+7.4%)
  • 7. Revenue not shrinking: unknown. No revenue growth figure yet
$7.21$8.84
18GWA
Fundamentals
Net margin
11.0%
FCF margin
14.0%
P/E
10.8×
Revenue growth
Year to 30 Jun 2024
EPS growth
Year to 30 Jun 2026
Fetched
Full financials
Watch
  • 1. High return on equity: unknown. Return on equity cannot be measured: it needs net profit, equity at both ends of the year and, outside banks, insurers and other financials, equity of at least 10% of total assets
  • 2. Healthy profit margin: pass. Net margin 11.0% (12 months to 2025-12-31)
  • 3. Profit that turns into cash: pass. Free cash flow is 1.27x net profit (12 months to 2025-12-31)
  • 4. Little debt: unknown. Net debt cannot be measured: no aligned balance sheet with debt and cash
  • 5. Liquid enough to trade: pass. A$952k average daily turnover over 20 sessions
  • 6. Long-term uptrend: fail. Close A$1.97 vs 200-day average A$2.27 (-13.0%): not above the 200-day average
  • 7. Revenue not shrinking: pass. Revenue +0.4% YoY (FY ending 2024-06-30)
$1.97$2.48
19BIO
Fundamentals
Net margin
15.1%
FCF margin
4.8%
P/E
25.5×
Revenue growth
Year to 30 Jun 2024
EPS growth
12 months to 30 Jun 2026
Fetched
Full financials
Watch
  • 1. High return on equity: unknown. Return on equity cannot be measured: it needs net profit, equity at both ends of the year and, outside banks, insurers and other financials, equity of at least 10% of total assets
  • 2. Healthy profit margin: pass. Net margin 15.1% (12 months to 2026-06-30)
  • 3. Profit that turns into cash: fail. Free cash flow is 0.32x net profit (12 months to 2026-06-30), under 0.8x
  • 4. Little debt: unknown. Net debt cannot be measured: no aligned balance sheet with debt and cash
  • 5. Liquid enough to trade: fail. A$83k average daily turnover over 20 sessions, below the A$250k floor
  • 6. Long-term uptrend: pass. Close A$0.41 vs 200-day average A$0.34 (+18.7%)
  • 7. Revenue not shrinking: pass. Revenue +79.8% YoY (FY ending 2024-06-30), accelerating from +75.9%
$0.41$0.45
20GMG
Fundamentals
Net margin
108.8%
FCF margin
73.6%
P/E
19.8×
Revenue growth
Year to 30 Jun 2026
EPS growth
12 months to 30 Jun 2026
Fetched
Full financials
Watch
  • 1. High return on equity: unknown. Return on equity cannot be measured: it needs net profit, equity at both ends of the year and, outside banks, insurers and other financials, equity of at least 10% of total assets
  • 2. Healthy profit margin: pass. Net margin 108.8% (FY ending 2026-06-30)
  • 3. Profit that turns into cash: fail. Free cash flow is 0.68x net profit (FY ending 2026-06-30), under 0.8x
  • 4. Little debt: unknown. Net debt cannot be measured: no aligned balance sheet with debt and cash
  • 5. Liquid enough to trade: pass. A$116.9m average daily turnover over 20 sessions
  • 6. Long-term uptrend: fail. Close A$26.30 vs 200-day average A$29.36 (-10.4%): not above the 200-day average
  • 7. Revenue not shrinking: pass. Revenue +23.5% YoY (FY ending 2026-06-30), accelerating from +7.6%
$26.30$31.30
  • Company filing (extracted)

Pivot is the top of the base: the breakout level, and the exit if the price closes back below it. Growth compares the latest reported period with the same span a year earlier: TTM is the trailing 12 months, FY a full year, HY a half year, and F marks a figure computed from a company filing. "n/a" means we do not hold the figure, never that it is zero; "n/m" means it is not meaningful (growth beyond +500% or below −95%, or a ratio for a bank, insurer or other financial).

The method

Quality compounders · Shorted

This is our own strategy, and a different kind of screen from the others. They look for price momentum and fast growth; this one looks for businesses that are already good: they earn a high return on the money shareholders have left in them, keep a healthy share of every dollar of revenue as profit, turn that profit into cash, and do not lean on borrowing to do it.

A company like that can reinvest at high rates of return for years, which is what compounding means. Berkshire Hathaway's published acquisition criteria ask for the same thing in plain words: businesses earning good returns on equity while employing little or no debt. A trend filter keeps the list to stocks the market is not marking down, because a good business can still be a falling share price for a long time.

Every ratio is computed from one reporting period, the latest full year or the latest twelve months when those are newer, and a balance sheet at or up to six months before it, in the company's reporting currency. Banks, insurers and other financials read unknown on cash conversion and leverage, where those ratios are not meaningful, so they rank as watch at most. Property trusts' profit and EBITDA include revaluations of their properties, which can flatter or depress them in any one year.

Metadata

Style
quality
Holding period
Years
Risk posture
Reassess when a quality test fails at the next result, or when the price closes below its 200-day average and stays there.
Universe
ASX equities with at least 60 sessions of price history; only those with at least A$250,000 average daily turnover can trigger
Refresh cadence
Daily, after the evening price sweep
Rules
7

The rules

Every rule resolves to pass, fail or unknown for every stock. Unknown means the data is missing, or the figure is not meaningful for this company: it never counts as a pass, and a stock cannot trigger while a core rule is unknown. Rules marked scoring only order the list without gating it.

  1. Rule 1: High return on equity

    CoreData source: Company fundamentals
    The rule
    Own businesses that earn a high return on the capital shareholders have in them.
    How we test it
    Pass when return on equity, net profit over the average of opening and closing shareholders' equity, is at least 15%. Fail below 15%, or when equity is zero or negative. Unknown when either equity figure is missing, or when average equity is under 10% of average total assets, where the ratio says more about borrowing than quality; banks, insurers and other financials are exempt from that test, because their balance sheets are leveraged by design. Net profit is the latest full year's, or the latest twelve months' when those are newer, in the reporting currency.
  2. Rule 2: Healthy profit margin

    CoreData source: Company fundamentals
    The rule
    Keep a meaningful share of every dollar of revenue as profit.
    How we test it
    Pass when net profit is at least 10% of revenue for the same period. Fail below 10%. Unknown when revenue is missing, zero or negative, or net profit is missing.
  3. Rule 3: Profit that turns into cash

    CoreData source: Company fundamentals
    The rule
    Reported profit should be backed by cash coming in, not only by accounting.
    How we test it
    Pass when free cash flow (operating cash flow less capital expenditure) is positive and at least 0.8 times net profit for the same period. Fail when net profit is zero or negative, when free cash flow is zero or negative, or when it is under 0.8 times net profit. Unknown when either figure is missing, and for banks, insurers and other financials, where the ratio is not meaningful.
  4. Rule 4: Little debt

    CoreData source: Company fundamentals
    The rule
    Prefer businesses that employ little or no debt.
    How we test it
    Pass when the company holds net cash, or when net debt is no more than 2.5 times EBITDA (normalised EBITDA when the source publishes it, otherwise statutory). Net debt excludes lease liabilities: total debt minus leases minus cash, from the balance sheet at or up to 6 months before the profit period. Fail above 2.5 times, or when there is net debt and EBITDA is zero or negative. Unknown when net debt cannot be measured, when there is net debt but no EBITDA, and for banks, insurers and other financials, where it is not meaningful.
  5. Rule 5: Liquid enough to trade

    CoreData source: Daily prices
    The rule
    Stick to stocks that trade enough to buy and sell without moving the price.
    How we test it
    Pass when the average daily turnover (close times volume) over the last 20 sessions is at least A$250,000. The same floor excludes sub-cent stocks, whose prices are stored to 2 decimal places and are too coarse to measure. Unknown without 20 sessions of price and volume.
  6. Rule 6: Long-term uptrend

    CoreData source: Daily prices
    The rule
    Own quality while the market agrees: the share price is above its long-term average.
    How we test it
    Pass when the close is above the 200-day simple moving average. Unknown without 200 sessions of price history.
  7. Rule 7: Revenue not shrinking

    Scoring onlyData source: Company fundamentals
    The rule
    A compounder grows its sales, or at least holds them.
    How we test it
    Pass when revenue is up or flat on a year earlier, a growth of 0% or more: the latest full year against the one before, or the latest twelve months or half-year against the same span a year earlier when those are fresher. Fail when revenue fell. Unknown when there is no revenue growth figure.

What this cannot see

  • Reported financial statements cover 264 of the 2262 stocks evaluated. Where a ratio cannot be measured the quality rules read unknown, never pass, so those stocks cannot trigger.
  • Ratios use the company's reporting currency, from one period and a balance sheet at or up to six months before it. A company that reports in US dollars is measured in US dollars.
  • Banks, insurers and other financials read unknown on cash conversion and leverage, where those ratios are not meaningful, so they rank as watch at most.
  • Property trusts' profit and EBITDA include revaluations of their properties, which can flatter or depress the ratios in any one year.
  • Net debt excludes lease liabilities, so a company with large leases carries more fixed obligations than its net debt shows.
  • Statements arrive when companies report, twice a year for most ASX companies, so the ratios can be months old.
  • Everything is measured on end-of-day prices after the evening sweep. We do not see intraday breakouts, the time of day a move happened, or news released after the close.
  • Prices are stored to 2 decimal places, so sub-cent stocks cannot be measured reliably; the A$250,000 turnover floor excludes them.
  • This is a screen, not a recommendation. Nothing here is financial advice.

Sources

  • Berkshire Hathaway annual reports, Acquisition Criteria: businesses earning good returns on equity while employing little or no debt.
  • Company financial statements (income statement, balance sheet and cash flow) as reported, from our data providers and the company's own ASX filings.

Not financial advice. These picks are a mechanical reading of published rules against public data, not recommendations, and a stock that meets every rule can still fall. Prices and company fundamentals are third-party data and can lag a company's filings by weeks; short positions come from ASIC with a T+4 trading-day delay. The strategy is attributed to its author for identification only; the evaluation is ours. See the methodology and disclaimer.