A growth screen needs three connected tests
A revenue growth screener measures expansion in sales. An EPS growth screener asks how much earnings reach each share. Operating margin checks whether the business retains enough of that revenue after operating costs. Combining them avoids selecting a company solely because its share price rose or because a low P/E looks attractive.
For an illustrative starting rule, require revenue growth of at least 15%, diluted EPS growth of at least 15%, operating margin of at least 10% and no margin decline. The tool applies all four conditions to the same financial period. These thresholds are choices for a research exercise. Sector economics differ: a bank, retailer and software company should not be judged by one universal operating-margin cutoff.
- Choose the comparison period and a manageable sector and market-cap universe. Run the screen, then inspect the number of candidates actually returned.
- Read both revenue and diluted EPS values alongside the percentage. A missing, zero or negative prior EPS sends a row to Needs review. Missing filing dates also block a numeric pass.
- Check margin change in percentage points. Select candidates only after reading the reporting dates and data notes; the pass-only checkbox hides unresolved rows.
- Record filing links and unresolved questions in the worksheet, download the CSV, and verify each company and exchange on TradingView. A chart can help assess liquidity and price behavior after the fundamental screen.
Keep quarterly growth separate from TTM
| Selection | Comparison | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Quarterly YoY | Latest fiscal quarter vs the same fiscal quarter one year earlier. | Revenue 300 vs 250 gives 20%. This is not the previous quarter comparison. |
| Annual YoY | Latest full fiscal year vs the preceding fiscal year. | A complete year can be months older than the latest quarterly release. |
| TTM YoY | Sum of four consecutive quarters vs the preceding four. | TTM revenue 1,150 vs 1,000 gives 15%, even if the newest quarter grew 20%. |
These revenue examples are hypothetical and use one currency and consistent units. TTM margin is summed operating income divided by summed revenue, not an average of four margin percentages. TTM EPS here is the sum of four reported diluted EPS values. Changes in weighted shares, loss-period dilution rules, stock splits and rounding can make this differ from reported annual EPS; reconcile it with company filings.
The calculator requires eight consecutive quarters for TTM and the same reporting currency across the comparison. Fiscal-year changes, duplicate periods or missing quarters produce a review flag. It does not manufacture an absent fourth quarter from annual figures. TradingView's revenue growth definitions describe the same distinction between quarterly YoY, TTM YoY and QoQ.
Worked candidate: growth survives dilution, but may not survive a gain adjustment
Suppose a fictional company reports the following annual figures. Money is in USD millions except per-share EPS; share counts are in millions. Both periods use the same accounting basis. The example is not a current stock or a fetched result.
| Measure | Prior year | Current year | Calculation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 1,000 | 1,200 | (1,200 − 1,000) / 1,000 = 20% |
| Operating income | 120 | 156 | Margins: 12% → 13%; +1 percentage point |
| Net income to common shareholders | 100 | 144 | 44% net income growth |
| Weighted diluted shares | 100 | 120 | 20% share growth |
| Diluted EPS | 1.00 | 1.20 | 144 / 120 = 1.20; EPS grows 20% |
This candidate passes the illustrative 15 / 15 / 10 rule with a stable margin. Net income growth of 44% cannot substitute for EPS growth of 20%: the additional shares absorb some earnings. The diluted EPS growth formula compares per-share amounts.
Now assume the current year includes a disclosed, non-operating after-tax gain of $40 million, with no comparable prior gain. Removing that assumed item gives earnings of 104, EPS of 104 / 120 = 0.8667 and EPS growth of −13.33%. Reported figures still pass, but the research conclusion changes. The tool cannot infer that adjustment; enter the filing reference and calculation in the review note. Do not mix adjusted EPS in one year with reported EPS in the other or assume every excluded cost is non-recurring.
Two other bases need different treatment. EPS rising from −0.50 to 0.10 is a return to profit, so this screen shows N/A growth. EPS rising from 0.01 to 0.10 is 900% growth but only 0.09 of additional earnings per share. Review absolute values instead of treating the largest percentage as the strongest business.
Reporting dates and quality checks decide the shortlist
A quarter ending June 30 was not necessarily public on June 30. Use the earnings release or filing publication date for any historical decision. The worksheet shows the latest available filing date among the statements used, plus the retrieval time. The provider may serve revised values; this is a current research screen, not a point-in-time backtest. Verify stale reports, mismatched fiscal calendars and later restatements before comparing candidates.
For each retained row, review acquisition-driven sales, currency effects, tax benefits, asset-sale gains and the diluted share count. Cash flow can disagree with EPS when receivables build or non-cash items dominate. The screen does not calculate organic growth, forecast future growth or remove unusual items automatically. The SEC's financial-statement guide explains operating margin and the difference between income and cash flow. Its non-GAAP guidance explains why adjustment choices and reconciliations deserve scrutiny.
The Market Screener can support the technical follow-up on selected stocks. Revenue, diluted EPS and margin comparisons on this page come from income statements; do not assume this full rule is a native Market Screener preset. The AI Finance Agent has income-statement and as-reported financial tools. Ask it to compare the named periods and cite sources for a candidate's unusual items; verify its findings against the filings.
For [ticker], compare the latest quarter with the same fiscal quarter last year. Show revenue, diluted EPS, operating income, weighted diluted shares and filing dates. Identify missing values and check any proposed one-off adjustment against the company's reconciliation. Keep reported and adjusted results separate.
Financial data is retrieved through Pineify's existing FMP income statement integration. The candidate response can be cached for two minutes and financial responses for one hour. Retrieval time is not a quote or filing publication timestamp. Availability and delays also depend on the provider. Educational research only; no investment advice or promise of returns. Methodology sources reviewed October 21, 2026.