What factors make up the MoonshotScore?

MoonshotScore is a 0-100 composite rating, calculated through the lens that fits the security. U.S.-listed common stocks use a sector-relative 5-pillar model — Business Quality, Financial Safety, Valuation, Growth Durability, and Momentum — with bands of Exceptional (80-100), Strong (65-79), Fair (45-64), Weak (25-44), and Avoid (below 25). ETFs, OTC names, and foreign listings use a legacy 9-factor composite: Revenue Growth (20%), Gross Margin (10%), Operating Leverage (10%), Cash Runway (10%), R&D Intensity (10%), Insider Activity (15%), Short Interest (5%), Price Momentum (10%), and News Sentiment (10%). The 5-pillar model re-ranks nightly; legacy scores update as market data refreshes. Pages display the score with a letter grade from A+ (80-100) down to F (below 30).

How is MoonshotScore different from other rating systems?

Unlike Morningstar's star ratings (human analyst, updated quarterly) or Seeking Alpha's Quant Ratings (limited factors), MoonshotScore combines independent quantitative signals spanning fundamental, technical, and sentiment analysis into one transparent score updated daily — five sector-relative pillars for U.S. common stocks, nine signals for ETF, OTC, and foreign listings. It covers 26,000+ operating companies — Morningstar covers approximately 1,500 with analyst reports.

Can I see how each factor contributes to a stock's score?

Yes. Every stock page shows a detailed MoonshotScore breakdown — five pillar bars for U.S. common stocks on the 5-pillar model, or nine signal bars (0-10 per signal) for ETF, OTC, foreign and legacy-scored tickers. This transparency lets you understand exactly why a stock received its rating.

What is a good MoonshotScore?

MoonshotScore uses five analysis bands: Exceptional (80-100), Strong (65-79), Fair (45-64), Weak (25-44), and Avoid (below 25). Pages also display a letter grade from A+ (80-100) down to F (below 30). Bands describe analytical quality — they are not buy or sell recommendations.

How often does MoonshotScore update?

The 5-pillar model re-ranks U.S. common stocks nightly; legacy scores update as new market data, financial reports, insider transactions, and news sentiment are processed. Data sources include Financial Modeling Prep, Yahoo Finance, SEC EDGAR, and 70+ news sources.

Can MoonshotScore predict stock prices?

No. MoonshotScore is a multi-signal quality assessment tool, not a price prediction system. It measures the overall health and momentum of a stock across its quantitative factors. A high score indicates strong fundamentals and positive signals, but stock prices are influenced by countless factors beyond any scoring system. MoonshotScore is for informational purposes only — not financial advice.

Is MoonshotScore available for all stocks?

MoonshotScore is calculated for the 26,000+ operating companies Stock Expert AI covers, including NYSE, NASDAQ, and OTC-listed companies. It is not an equity rating for delisted securities or mutual-fund share classes — those pages are archived profiles without a current score. Stocks with insufficient data may receive a lower score due to missing signals. OTC stocks in Grey Market or Expert Market tiers are excluded from scoring entirely.

How does MoonshotScore handle different market sectors?

For U.S. common stocks, sector awareness is built in: the 5-pillar model scores each company against its own sector peers, so a utility is judged against utilities and a software company against software. The legacy 9-signal model normalizes certain metrics within sector context — it recognizes that a 5% gross margin is excellent for a grocery retailer but concerning for a software company.

Stock Expert AI

Institutional-Grade Analysis

MoonshotScore Methodology

Our proprietary rating uses two engines: a sector-relative 5-pillar model for U.S.-listed common stocks, and the legacy 9-factor model detailed below for ETFs, OTC, and foreign listings.

10-Second Summary

MoonshotScore is Stock Expert AI's proprietary 0-100 rating. U.S.-listed common stocks use a sector-relative five-pillar model, re-ranked nightly. ETFs, OTC and foreign listings use a legacy nine-signal model, updated as market data refreshes.

The five pillars are business quality, financial safety, valuation, growth durability, and momentum — each scored against sector peers. The nine legacy signals are detailed in the table below.

The Legacy Formula (ETFs, OTC & Foreign Listings)

The weighted formula below applies to the legacy 9-factor model. U.S.-listed common stocks are instead scored against sector peers across five pillars — see the full methodology for the 5-pillar model.

// Legacy MoonshotScore Calculation
MoonshotScore = (
Revenue Growth Score x 20%
+ Gross Margin Score x 10%
+ Operating Leverage Score x 10%
+ Cash Runway Score x 10%
+ R&D Intensity Score x 10%
+ Insider Activity Score x 15%
+ Short Interest Score x 5%
+ Price Momentum Score x 10%
+ News Sentiment Score x 10%
)

What Are the 9 Legacy Factors?

Factor	Weight	Description
Revenue Growth	20%	Year-over-year revenue growth scored against fixed thresholds. Faster-growing companies score higher — the single most important factor.
Gross Margin	10%	Gross profit as a percentage of revenue. Higher margins indicate pricing power, competitive moats, and scalable business models.
Operating Leverage	10%	Scaling-efficiency estimate derived from the revenue-growth trend as a proxy. Stronger growth signals more efficient scaling.
Cash Runway	10%	How long the company can operate at its current burn rate — enough cash to fund the growth strategy.
R&D Intensity	10%	Research and development spending as a percentage of revenue. High intensity signals commitment to innovation and a future pipeline.
Insider Activity	15%	Net insider buying or selling. When insiders buy their own stock, it signals confidence in the company's prospects.
Short Interest	5%	Trading liquidity — daily volume turnover relative to the share float. Healthy turnover means smoother entry and exit.
Price Momentum	10%	Price performance across 1-, 3-, and 6-month windows. Stocks with positive momentum tend to keep outperforming.
News Sentiment	10%	AI-analyzed sentiment from recent news articles and analyst reports. Positive trends often precede price movements.

Real-World Examples: How MoonshotScore Adapts

MoonshotScore is not a static formula — it weighs each company through the model that fits it. The U.S. common stocks below are scored by the sector-relative 5-pillar model, and different pillars drive each story:

NVDA (NVIDIA)

High-Growth Tech

Growth Durability and Business Quality lead for companies like NVIDIA. AI-driven revenue growth with strong margins scores well against semiconductor sector peers, while Momentum confirms the trend the market is already pricing in.

View NVDA Analysis →

TSLA (Tesla)

Disruptor / High Volatility

Tesla's score balances Growth Durability against Valuation and Financial Safety — the pillars often disagree for disruptors. Momentum can swing sharply around vehicle delivery reports and regulatory updates, moving the composite with it.

View TSLA Analysis →

MSFT (Microsoft)

Mega-Cap / Steady Compounder

For mature mega-caps like Microsoft, Business Quality and Financial Safety provide the stability signal, while AI cloud revenue growth (Azure) supports Growth Durability. Valuation is judged against software sector peers, keeping the comparison fair.

View MSFT Analysis →

Note: These examples illustrate how MoonshotScore factors are weighted differently for each stock. They are not investment recommendations. Scores change daily based on new data. See our full disclaimer.

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