Weiss Stock Ratings

Weiss Stock Ratings are investment ratings based on a completely independent, unbiased opinion of stocks. Each stock is analyzed using the latest daily data available and quarterly filings with the SEC. We review thousands of pieces of stock data and, based on our proprietary model, balance our evaluation of reward against risk to assign an overall rating. Although all investments involve risk, the results provide a simple and understandable opinion as to whether we think the stock is a “buy,” “sell,” or “hold.”

In order to help guarantee our objectivity, we reserve the right to publish ratings expressing our opinion of an investment’s reward and risk based exclusively on publicly available data and our own proprietary standards for safety.

Stock Rating Definitions:

A     Excellent. The company’s stock has an excellent track record for providing strong performance with lower-than-average risk, and it is trading at a price that represents good value relative to the company’s earnings prospects. While past performance is no guarantee of future results, we believe this stock is among the most likely to deliver superior performance relative to risk in the future. Although even the best stocks can decline in a down market, our “A” rating can generally be considered the equivalent of "Strong Buy.”

B     Good. The company’s stock has a good track record for delivering a balance of performance and risk. While the performance of any stock is subject to change, we believe this stock is good value, with good prospects for outperforming the market. Although even good investments can decline in a down market, our “B” rating can generally be considered the equivalent of "Buy."

C     Fair. The prospects for the company’s stock are about average based on its track record and current valuation. Thus, we feel it is not significantly better or worse investment than most other common stocks. Although stocks can be driven higher or lower by overall market trends, our "C" rating can generally be considered the equivalent of "Hold" or “Avoid.”

D     Weak. The company’s stock is an underperformer relative to other common stocks with a similar amount of risk. While the performance of any common stock is subject to change, we believe this stock represents a poor investment based on its current valuation and the company’s current financial position. Although weak stocks can also rise in an up market, our "D" rating can generally be considered equivalent to "Sell."

E     Very Weak. In our opinion, the prospects for the company’s stock are not favorable, with significant downside risks outweighing any upside potential. This opinion is based on the company’s current financial condition in combination with the stock’s historical risk-adjusted performance and current valuation. Although even some of the weakest stocks can rise in certain market conditions, our "E" rating can generally be considered the equivalent of "Strong Sell."

F     Bankrupt. The company issuing this stock is currently in bankruptcy proceedings but remains under active coverage. Our decision to continue covering bankrupt companies is based on factors such as data availability and quality, and is made on a discretionary basis. Typically, shareholders in a bankrupt company lose their entire investment when the company emerges from Chapter 11 reorganization or liquidates under Chapter 7. Therefore, our opinion is that this stock still has substantial downside risk for investors and virtually no upside potential.

+     The plus sign is an indication that the stock is in the upper third of the letter grade.

-      The minus sign is an indication that the stock is in the lower third of the letter grade.

U     Unrated. The stock is unrated for one or more of the following reasons: 1) It is too new to make a reliable assessment of its risk-adjusted performance; 2) quarterly reports filed with the SEC were either late or missing critical items that Weiss Ratings deems necessary for a thorough analysis; 3) data anomalies exist that call into question either the accuracy or completeness of the information available.

Weiss Ratings