MoonshotScore V2: five sector-relative pillars for eligible common stocks and ADRs, with dated calculations. Funds and ETFs carry none.
Transparent Methodology
How MoonshotScore Works
Current V2 Five-Pillar Model
V2 is the only current model: eligible companies are scored against their sector peers across five pillars — business quality, financial safety, valuation, growth durability, and momentum. MoonshotScore V2 covers eligible common stocks and ADRs on NASDAQ, NYSE and AMEX. OTC listings are outside the scheduled universe; funds, ETFs, warrants, units, SPACs, preferreds, and notes carry no MoonshotScore.
The raw weights total 92. If a pillar has no usable data, it drops out and the remaining weights are rescaled; it is not counted as zero.
Business Quality
Is this a genuinely good business? Profitability, margins, and returns on capital versus sector peers.
Engine weight 26; 28.3% of the composite when all five pillars have data.
Financial Safety
Could this blow up? Debt load, cash position, and overall balance-sheet strength.
Engine weight 20; 21.7% of the composite when all five pillars have data.
Valuation
Am I paying a fair price? Price measured against fundamentals, relative to peers.
Engine weight 18; 19.6% of the composite when all five pillars have data.
Growth Durability
Is the growth real and likely to last? Quality of the revenue and earnings trend, not one-off spikes.
Engine weight 16; 17.4% of the composite when all five pillars have data.
Momentum
Is the market already moving on this? Recent price trend.
Engine weight 12; 13% of the composite when all five pillars have data.
See the full methodology for factor inputs, adjustments, ranking, and shrinkage.
Historical V1 Weighted Formula (9-Signal Model)
Legacy V1 nine-signal calculations are retained as historical records only. They are not used as a fallback when a current V2 score is unavailable.
MoonshotScore =
Revenue Growth × 20%
Gross Margin × 10%
Operating Leverage × 10%
Cash Runway × 10%
R&D Intensity × 10%
Insider Activity × 15%
Trading Liquidity × 5%
Price Momentum × 10%
News Sentiment × 10%
The 9 Historical V1 Factors
Revenue Growth (20%)
Revenue Growth carries 20% and is the single most important factor — it scores year-over-year revenue growth against fixed thresholds. Faster-growing companies score higher.
Gross Margin (10%)
Gross Margin carries 10% and measures gross profit as a percentage of revenue. Higher margins indicate pricing power, competitive moats, and scalable business models.
Operating Leverage (10%)
Operating Leverage carries 10% and estimates scaling efficiency as a proxy derived from the revenue-growth trend. Stronger growth signals a company is more likely scaling efficiently.
Cash Runway (10%)
Cash Runway carries 10% and measures how long the company can operate at its current burn rate, ensuring it has enough cash to fund its growth strategy.
R&D Intensity (10%)
R&D Intensity carries 10% and measures research and development spending as a percentage of revenue. High intensity signals commitment to innovation and a future product pipeline.
Insider Activity (15%)
Insider Activity carries 15% and tracks net insider buying or selling. When insiders buy their own stock, it signals confidence in the company’s prospects.
Trading Liquidity (5%)
Trading Liquidity carries 5% and measures daily volume turnover relative to the share float. Healthy turnover means smoother entry and exit; very low turnover flags liquidity risk on larger orders. Despite the historical name of this slot, no short-interest data is used anywhere in the model.
Price Momentum (10%)
Price Momentum carries 10% and reviews price performance across 1-, 3-, and 6-month windows. It describes past price performance, not a forecast of future returns.
News Sentiment (10%)
News Sentiment carries 10% and uses AI-analyzed sentiment from recent news articles and analyst reports. This was a historical V1 input; it is not an input to the current V2 score.
Methodology Disclosure
MoonshotScore is an educational research signal, not financial advice or a portfolio instruction. It summarizes available data and can miss context that only deeper independent research can reveal.
MoonshotScore Questions
Is this financial advice?
No. MoonshotScore is educational research context and should be one input among many.
How often is MoonshotScore updated?
The V2 five-pillar model is recalculated from the most recent completed US trading session, so scores move on US trading days. The score's computation date shows its last successful calculation; a newer price does not mean the score has refreshed. A failed update leaves the previous dated score in place.
What is the difference vs Morningstar star rating?
MoonshotScore V2 is a quantitative five-pillar model across business quality, financial safety, valuation, growth durability, and momentum. News sentiment and analyst ratings are not score inputs. Morningstar ratings use separate methodologies and assumptions.
Why did the historical V1 weights add to 100?
The historical V1 formula used fixed weights totaling 100. Those weights do not describe V2, and archived V1 calculations are not current scores.
Can a high score be wrong?
Yes. A score summarizes known inputs at a point in time, while markets can change for reasons outside the model.
What does a MoonshotScore of 70 mean?
On the five-pillar engine, 70 is the Strong band (65-79): the company ranks in the upper part of its sector on quality, safety, valuation, growth and momentum combined. It is a research rating, not a buy signal — read which pillar carries it and which one drags.
How do I evaluate a stock with this score?
Start with the pillar breakdown on the stock page: the strongest and weakest side are named. Check the engine label, then the financial checkup, analyst consensus and insider activity. The score orders your research; the decision stays yours.
How should I use the score?
Use it as a map for what to research next. Read the factor breakdown, then review the company page, filings, risks, and your own constraints.