Our investment insights and essential analytical tools help you stay on top of the latest market trends, make investment selections, and manage risk in client portfolios.
Next-Gen Insights, Information, and Investments
Why Financial Advisors Choose CFRA Research
CFRA is trusted globally by Advisors as a valuable source of independent financial insight and analysis.
Independent & Unbiased
CFRA provides truly independent insights and analysis, free from conflicts of interest. Unlike competitors, we don't manage money, make trades, or create products that could compete with your business.
Global Coverage
We offer qualitative coverage of 1,600+ global companies, quantitative analysis of 15,000 companies, 2,500 ETFs, and 15,000 mutual funds, plus technical analysis of NYSE/NASDAQ securities and public policy insights.
Proprietary Methodologies
Our fundamental research for Wealth Management uses proprietary methodology to provide Advisors with actionable ideas for excess returns, while our technical analysis offers unbiased market insight using Supply & Demand indicators.
Proven Performance
CFRA uses a proprietary 5-level ranking system to evaluate stocks, focusing on expectations embedded in share prices about future cash flows. Our Strong Buy-Buy-Hold rankings have consistently outperformed relevant indices.
Independent & Unbiased
Our independent and unbiased investment research and analysis can help ensure you’re serving the best interests of your retail investor clients -- free from conflict of interest.
- CFRA can help you tackle Reg BI requirements head-on.
- CFRA does not:
- have an asset management or investment banking arm.
- manage money or make trades.
- create financial products that compete with your firm or your practice.
Global Coverage
Our independent and unbiased investment research features qualitative, quantitative, and technical analysis across global financial markets to help you build portfolios, select securities, and manage risk.
- In-depth coverage of 68 industries and 11 sectors
- Qualitative coverage of 1,600+ global companies
- Quantitative coverage of:
- 15,000+ global companies
- 2,500+ global ETFs
- 15,000+ global mutual funds
- Technical analysis of all NYSE/NASDAQ listed securities along with dozens of additional global equity markets
- In-depth coverage and analysis of public policy across the most heavily regulated sectors and market-impacting policy debates
Proprietary Methodologies
Our proprietary STARS research methodology seeks to deliver long-term outperformance and differentiated idea generation through extensive factor-based valuation and risk analysis.
- A style-box agnostic approach that evaluates companies across of matrix of fundamentals vs. expectations.
- Expectations framework driven by expected future cash flows leveraging both forensic accounting and fundamental analysis.
- A unique approach to company valuation that includes relative valuation, discounted cash flow, and sum-of-the-parts.
- Our proprietary STARS (STock Appreciation Ranking System) offers a fresh approach to equities analysis. STARS evaluates the immediate investment potential of the stock it covers, with emphasis on the timing of investment decisions.
- A top-down methodology with the primary market trend playing the largest role in determining overall equity allocation.
- Identify the long-term primary market trend, specifically bull and bear markets
- Pinpoint short-term trends to tactically allocate within the long-term trend
- Determine market demand by organizing demand levels by sector, industry, stocks, and ETFs
- The foundation of our technical analysis is built on three key technical proprietary indicators:
- Supply & Demand indicator
- Market Breadth
- Market Momentum analysis.
Proven Performance
A 30-Year track record of success built on our style-box agnostic framework focused on identifying the expectations embedded into each company’s share price about its future cash flows.
- Since inception in 1999, CFRA’s North American STARS rankings have outperformed the MSCI US EW index by 4.51%.
- In 2023, CFRA’s Sector Outlooks Model Portfolio outperformed the S&P 500 by 24% and has outperformed the index by 4.3% annually since inception in 1995.
- Since inception in 2010, a portfolio combining CFRA’s fundamental and technical ratings:
- outperformed the S&P 1500 EW index by 1.6% in absolute return.
- reduced standard deviation versus the benchmark by 26%
- outperformed the benchmark by 52% in terms of risk adjusted return
*Past performance does not predict future results.
Research Solutions Designed for Advisors and Wealth Managers
Explore our extensive range of research solutions, from in-depth equity analysis, ETF and mutual fund research, technical analysis and public policy insight.
Fundamental Equity Research
CFRA's 5-level stock ranking system analyzes share price expectations about future cash flows. Our Strong Buy-Buy-Hold ratings have consistently outperformed relevant indices.
ETF & Mutual Fund Research
Proprietary quantitative research and ratings for 2,500 ETFs and 15,000 mutual funds using CFRA’s unique holdings-based methodology and one of the industry’s most comprehensive ETF databases.
Technical Research
Gain the confidence to navigate any market cycle with our time-tested, data-driven Technical Research based on supply and demand that measures the internal strength of the markets, sectors, industry groups, and individual issues.
Public Policy Research
Assess and quantify investment opportunities and risks arising from market-moving public policy and legal events that impact financial markets including legislative, regulatory, judicial, and political developments across all levels of government.
Easily Integrate Into Your Investment Process and Workflow
Start your free trials with MarketScope Advisor, Lowry Research, and Capitol Insights to access comprehensive equity research, advanced technical analysis, and policy-driven market forecasts—all tailored to elevate your investment strategies.
MarketScope Advisor
Secure, web-based access to our full suite of fundamental research.
- Stay informed of the big picture
- Thought leadership, macro, and thematic commentary to help you stay on top of the latest market trends, history, strategy, and momentum.
- Build portfolios and select investments
- Validate your investment ideas, research investments and trends, and construct portfolios with dynamic screening tools and model portfolios.
- Monitor investments and manage risk
- Mitigate risk within your practice as well as client portfolios with custom watchlists and alerts.
Lowry Research
Secure, web-based access to our full suite of technical research.
- Broad market insight and analysis
- Stay informed of the latest industry and sector commentary with near-term outlooks and primary trend perspectives.
- Quickly identify investment opportunities
- Charts and tools to identify buying and selling opportunities based on capitalization, growth, value, or momentum.
- Monitor investments and manage risk
- Daily scans and alerts for stocks that have triggered alerts or experienced a special situation.
Public Policy Insights
Actionable insights on developments in the public policy and legal environment.
- Go beyond the headlines
- See the impact of policy and legal developments on specific industries and companies.
- Forward-looking analysis
- Forecasting that provides insight into top-of-mind issues over the coming weeks and months.
- Regular cadence of insight
- Bi-weekly insights that help elevate your client interactions and periodic commentary and primers on major policy and legal issues.