Operators in ScreenerHub define the comparison rule between a field and a threshold value. Every criterion in Studio has three parts: the field, the operator, and the value. The operator is the middle element — it determines what relationship must hold for a stock to pass the filter.
How operators work
Each field in Studio supports a specific set of operators based on its data type. Numeric fields support range comparisons; categorical fields support equality and set membership; text fields support pattern matching.
A criterion passes when the field value for a given company satisfies the operator condition. A blank value — a field not reported for that company — is treated as failing every operator. It is not zero and not an empty string. For a full discussion of blank values, see the section on null handling below.
The set of operators available for any field is listed on that field's detail page in the Field Reference.
Numeric operators
Numeric operators apply to quantitative fields: ratios, prices, percentages, counts, and monetary values.
Greater than
| Symbol | Code | Example |
|---|---|---|
> | gt | Return on Equity > 10 |
Passes when the field value is strictly greater than the threshold. Use this to set a floor that excludes the threshold value itself. A Return on Equity > 10 filter includes stocks at 10.1 % but not at exactly 10 %.
Greater than or equal
| Symbol | Code | Example |
|---|---|---|
≥ | gte | Dividend Yield ≥ 3 |
Passes when the field value is greater than or equal to the threshold. Use ≥ over > when the threshold is a round number and you want stocks that hit it exactly. A Dividend Yield ≥ 3 filter includes a stock yielding exactly 3 %.
Less than
| Symbol | Code | Example |
|---|---|---|
< | lt | Debt-to-Equity < 1 |
Passes when the field value is strictly less than the threshold. Use this to cap a metric below a ceiling without including the ceiling itself. A Debt-to-Equity < 1 filter excludes companies with leverage of exactly 1×.
Less than or equal
| Symbol | Code | Example |
|---|---|---|
≤ | lte | P/B Ratio ≤ 1.5 |
Passes when the field value is less than or equal to the threshold. Use ≤ over < when you want to include stocks that hit the boundary exactly, such as a P/B Ratio ≤ 1.5.
Between
| Symbol | Code | Example |
|---|---|---|
| between | rng | P/E Ratio between 8 and 20 |
Passes when the field value falls within a minimum–maximum range, inclusive on both ends. between is equivalent to combining ≥ min and ≤ max in a single criterion. Use it when you want to define a band rather than a one-sided floor or ceiling — for example, a valuation band that avoids both distressed companies and expensive growth stocks in a single rule.
Enter the lower bound first, then the upper bound. The filter rejects stocks where either bound is violated.
Equality operators
Equality operators compare a field to a single value. They work across numeric, categorical, and score fields.
Equal to
| Symbol | Code | Example |
|---|---|---|
= | eq | Sector = Technology |
Passes when the field value exactly matches the threshold. For categorical fields such as Sector, Country, and Exchange, = is the standard way to pin the screen to a single specific value.
Not equal
| Symbol | Code | Example |
|---|---|---|
≠ | neq | Country ≠ United States |
Passes when the field value does not match the threshold. Use ≠ to exclude one specific category while keeping all others. To exclude several values at once, use the not list operator described below.
List operators
List operators compare a field against a set of values. They are most useful for categorical fields where you want to include or exclude several options at the same time.
In list
| Symbol | Code | Example |
|---|---|---|
| in | in | Country in [Germany, France, Netherlands] |
Passes when the field value matches any value in the provided list. in list replaces multiple = criteria that would otherwise require OR logic. Use it to define a geographic or sector universe in a single criterion. For example, Sector in [Technology, Healthcare, Consumer Staples] is more compact and easier to modify than three separate criteria.
Not
| Symbol | Code | Example |
|---|---|---|
| not | not | Sector not [Financial Services, Real Estate] |
Passes when the field value does not match any value in the provided list. not is the complement of in list. Use it to exclude a known set of categories without having to enumerate everything you want to keep. A screen for high-yield stocks might use Sector not [Financial Services, Real Estate, Utilities] to remove sectors where high yield is structural rather than a signal.
Text operators
Text operators apply to fields that store string values, such as company names or ticker symbols.
Contains
| Symbol | Code | Example |
|---|---|---|
| contains | cs | Company Name contains "bank" |
Passes when the field value contains the given substring, regardless of letter case. contains is most useful for exploratory searches — for example, finding all companies with "bank" in their name. Use it with care: it matches any occurrence of the substring, so "bank" would also match "Bankinter", "Citibank", and "Deutsche Bundesbank".
For precise sector or country filtering, use = or in list on the dedicated categorical fields rather than contains on Company Name.
Blank values and null handling
A blank value means the field has no reported data for that company. Studio does not treat blanks as zero.
Every numeric operator — including = 0 and ≤ 0 — excludes stocks where the field is blank. A company with no reported P/E Ratio will not pass a P/E < 20 filter, because a missing P/E usually means no earnings, not a P/E of zero. Including blanks in numeric comparisons would produce misleading results.
This behavior is consistent across all numeric operators. If you observe that fewer stocks match than expected, check whether the field you are filtering on has meaningful blank rates. The Field Reference notes coverage gaps per field.
Common patterns
Define a universe with in list. Rather than adding individual Sector = criteria, use Sector in [Technology, Healthcare, Consumer Staples] to define the investable universe in one step. It is easier to read and easier to modify.
Use between for a valuation band. A value screen might use P/E between 8 and 20 to avoid both deeply distressed companies and expensive growth names without requiring two separate criteria.
Combine ≥ and ≤ on the same field for asymmetric ranges. If you need a range where the lower and upper bounds have different operator semantics, add two criteria on the same field — for example, P/E ≥ 8 and P/E < 20. Two criteria make the logic explicit and let you adjust one bound independently.
Use not to exclude structural sectors. When running an income screen, Sector not [Financial Services, Real Estate, Utilities] removes sectors where high yields reflect regulatory structures rather than capital discipline.
What operators are not
Operators are not strategy opinions. They express a mechanical condition — "this field must be above this number" — without any view on what threshold is appropriate. For guidance on meaningful threshold values, see the knowledge base articles in Learn.
Operators are not applied to averages or aggregates. Each operator checks a single company's field value against the threshold, not a sector average or a peer median.
Operators are not combined with OR logic between criteria. Studio requires all active criteria to pass simultaneously. A stock must satisfy every criterion in the list, not just one of them.
Related
- Definitions, units, and supported operators per field: Field Reference
- Building a complete screen with criteria: Studio
- Practical strategy examples: Strategies