This free Buffett stock screener is the spreadsheet I use to help me find businesses to invest in. It’s built around nine Warren Buffett metrics found in the book Warren Buffett and the Interpretation of Financial Statements by Mary Buffett and David Clark.
Get the free screener
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Tip: the file opens in Google Sheets, but it works best downloaded to Excel — File → Download → Microsoft Excel.
How to use it — the 5-minute method
Read the first post — it explains each of the nine questions and why they matter: The Nine-Question Stock Screen
Find the company on MSN Money — search the ticker (e.g. “JBH”) and go to Financials
Copy the three statements into a blank Excel sheet — Income Statement first, then Balance Sheet below it, then Cash Flow below that
Delete the rows you don’t need — what’s left is the data for the nine metrics, in the same order as the screener
Paste straight into the screener’s yellow data rows — exactly as MSN shows it. Values like 23.77B and 988.92M convert automatically (even mixed in the same row), and negative Capital Expenditures are fine too
Read the score — 85+ is exceptional, 70–84 high quality, 55–69 possible, under 55 probably not a durable-advantage business
Note: I use MSN Money as it is free AND gives 8 years of financial history. Most other free options only give 4 or 5 years of financials. Let me know if there’s a free option that gives 10 years of financial history. That’d be great!
A note on what the score means
The screen answers one question: is this a great business? It does not tell you whether the price is fair — that’s the second half of the framework, and the spreadsheet’s valuation section gives you a starting point. Fair value is a range, not a number; what you’re prepared to pay depends on your own assumptions and risk tolerance.
This is not financial advice. The information in this newsletter is educational and based on publicly available data. It does not take into account your personal financial situation, goals, or risk tolerance. Always do your own research or consult a licensed financial adviser before making investment decisions.