Schwab offers two stock screening tools free for all account holders: a standard web screener on schwab.com, and the powerful Stock Hacker inside thinkorswim. Stock Hacker is the standout — it provides real-time scanning with custom criteria, thinkScript programming, and live alerts during market hours. Schwab also gives all customers free access to Morningstar, Credit Suisse, and Argus research reports, plus Schwab’s proprietary Equity Ratings system.
Two Ways to Screen Stocks at Schwab
Option 1: schwab.com Stock Screener (Beginner-Friendly)
The web screener is accessible without downloading any software: Research → Stocks → Stock Screener.
Available filters:
- Price, market cap, exchange
- P/E ratio, forward P/E, P/B, PEG ratio
- Dividend yield, payout ratio, ex-dividend date
- EPS growth (1/3/5-year), revenue growth
- Return on equity, debt-to-equity
- Sector and industry (all 11 GICS sectors)
- Analyst consensus rating
- Morningstar star rating
- 52-week performance vs. index
Pre-built screens available: Dividend Aristocrats, Schwab’s Equity Ratings Leaders, S&P 500 Strong Buys, and more.
Option 2: thinkorswim Stock Hacker (Advanced)
The Stock Hacker is Schwab’s most powerful screening tool, available in the free thinkorswim platform.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Real-time scanning | Scans update live during market hours |
| Technical criteria | RSI, MACD, moving averages, Bollinger Bands, volume, momentum |
| Fundamental criteria | P/E, market cap, earnings surprise, dividend yield |
| thinkScript | Write custom conditions in code — virtually unlimited flexibility |
| Alerts | Get notified when any stock meets your criteria in real time |
| Saved scans | Save and rerun your most useful screens |
| Cross-reference | Link scan results directly to charts and watchlists |
thinkScript is what separates Stock Hacker from every other retail screener. You can write conditions like “RSI crosses above 30 AND price is above 200-day MA AND volume is 150% of 10-day average” — and have this scan run live during market hours with instant alerts. No other major free retail platform offers this level of customisation.
Worked Example: Finding Oversold Quality Stocks
Using Stock Hacker in thinkorswim:
- RSI (14): Below 35 (oversold)
- Schwab Equity Rating: A or B
- Market cap: Over $5 billion
- Debt-to-equity: Under 0.5
- 52-week return vs. S&P 500: Underperforming by 10%+
This screen identifies quality large-cap companies that are currently oversold — a starting point for value investors. Results update in real time and can be set to trigger an alert when new stocks enter the screen.
Schwab’s ETF Screener
Schwab’s ETF Center (schwab.com/etfs) offers a dedicated ETF screener:
| Filter | Options |
|---|---|
| Asset class | Equity, fixed income, commodity, multi-asset |
| Category | Large-cap blend, sector, international, bond |
| Expense ratio | Under 0.10%, 0.10–0.25%, etc. |
| Morningstar rating | 1–5 stars |
| AUM | Filter by fund size |
| 1/3/5-year return | Historical performance |
| Dividend yield | Income focus |
| Issuer | Filter by Schwab, Vanguard, BlackRock, etc. |
Schwab’s own ETFs stand out for low cost:
| ETF | Description | Expense Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| SCHB | Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF | 0.03% |
| SCHX | Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF | 0.03% |
| SCHA | Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF | 0.04% |
| SCHF | Schwab International Equity ETF | 0.06% |
| SCHD | Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF | 0.06% |
SCHD is particularly popular among dividend investors — it tracks a quality-filtered dividend index and has delivered strong long-term total returns.
Research Reports at Schwab (All Free)
| Provider | Coverage |
|---|---|
| Schwab Equity Ratings | Proprietary A–F grade for 3,000+ stocks |
| Morningstar | Star ratings, fair value, moat analysis |
| Credit Suisse | Institutional equity research reports |
| Argus | Independent equity research |
| Schwab Market Commentary | Weekly macro and sector outlook |
| Sector Reports | Detailed sector-by-sector analysis |
Schwab Equity Ratings is Schwab’s own proprietary grading system, assigning A through F grades based on projected 12-month relative performance. It is generated by Schwab’s quantitative research team and is independent of the third-party providers above.
Schwab Screener vs. Fidelity vs. E*TRADE
| Feature | Schwab | Fidelity | E*TRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced screener | Stock Hacker (best) | Standard web screener | Power E*TRADE screener |
| Real-time scanning | Yes (thinkorswim) | Via ATP | Yes (Power E*TRADE) |
| Custom criteria | thinkScript | Limited | Limited |
| ETF screener | Yes — ETF Center | Yes | Yes |
| Proprietary ratings | Schwab Equity Ratings | None | None |
| Research providers | Morningstar, Credit Suisse, Argus | Morningstar, CFRA, Argus | Morgan Stanley |
| Cost | Free | Free | Free |
For fundamental screening, all three are comparable. For technical, real-time, and customisable screening, Schwab’s Stock Hacker is the clear leader among major retail brokers.
Related reading:
- Schwab Options Trading 2026 — thinkorswim Guide
- Schwab Day Trading 2026
- Charles Schwab vs Vanguard 2026
- Best Brokerage Accounts 2026
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