Every metric and concept used across invest-like, in plain English. Click any term for the full breakdown - what it is, how it's calculated, and why it matters for value investors.
The cash a business produces from operations after spending what it needs to maintain and grow. Buffett: "Earnings are an opinion; cash flow is a fact."
Free cash flow per share divided by share price. The cleanest "what return does this business actually pay me?" metric.
Buffett's alternative to reported net income - what a business actually generates in distributable cash after maintenance capex.
Invest-like's 0–100 measure of how well a stock fits Warren Buffett's documented investment criteria. Drives the Yes / No / Maybe verdict.
The mathematical engine behind value investing - small consistent gains, reinvested over decades, accumulate exponentially. Einstein called it the eighth wonder.
Benjamin Graham's rules for the "defensive" investor - strict criteria designed to avoid permanent capital loss without any need for active analysis.
The actual value of a business, independent of its stock price - the present value of all future cash it will generate for owners.
Joel Greenblatt's mechanical strategy: rank every stock by ROIC + earnings yield, buy the top 30. Backtests have shown ~30% annualised returns over decades.
Graham's central concept - buy at a price low enough that even if your analysis is wrong, you don't lose money. The single most important risk-management idea in value investing.
Current assets divided by current liabilities. Above 1 = company can pay its bills due in the next year. Graham's defensive minimum: 2.
How much debt a business carries for every dollar of equity. Higher = more leverage, higher return potential, higher risk.
How many times over a company's operating earnings cover its interest payments. Below 5× is the warning zone.
The % of shares outstanding the company is repurchasing each year. A clean signal of management's capital discipline.
How management chooses to deploy each dollar the business generates: reinvest, acquire, pay down debt, buy back stock, or distribute as dividends. The single most important management decision.
Annual dividends per share divided by share price. The cleanest "this stock pays me X% per year" number.
How long a business's competitive advantage will keep working. The "10-year question": will customers still want this product in 2035?
A structural barrier that lets a business earn high returns on capital for years without competitors eroding them. The core of Buffett's investment philosophy.
The % of every dollar of revenue that's left after paying the direct cost of producing the good or service. Higher = more pricing power.
The % of revenue that's left after both direct costs AND operating expenses (R&D, SG&A). Captures full operational efficiency.
Invest-like's 0–100 composite score combining ROIC, margin stability, balance-sheet strength, and earnings consistency. Higher = more durable business.
Return on Invested Capital - how much profit a business earns for every dollar of capital it has tied up. The single most important quality signal in value investing.
The inverse of P/E - how much earnings you "get" per dollar invested. Lets you compare stocks to bonds directly.
The "all-in" cost of buying a whole business - market cap plus debt assumed, minus the cash you'd inherit.
Enterprise Value divided by Earnings Before Interest & Tax - how many years of operating profit it would take to "buy" the whole company at today's price.
Price-to-Book - what the market pays for $1 of accounting net worth. Graham's defensive ratio of choice.
Price-to-Earnings - how many years of current earnings the market is asking you to pay upfront for ownership of one share.