CompanyGraph
Stories appear when multiple signals align into a defined financial condition — describing structural patterns that are measurably present in a company.
A story in CompanyGraph is not a prediction or a recommendation. It is a named pattern that emerges when specific signals — measurable financial conditions — appear together in a company's data. Each story has defined trigger conditions, and it either applies or it doesn't. There is no subjective judgment involved.
Stories describe structural states: a company generating more cash than it can reinvest, margins compressing while revenue grows, or debt levels rising faster than earnings can support. These patterns are not inherently good or bad. They are conditions that exist, described precisely enough to be verified against the underlying data.
Each story page explains what the pattern means, which signals must be present for it to appear, and which companies currently exhibit it. Stories are grouped by theme to reveal how different structural conditions relate to each other.
BalanceSheetStrength
Acquisition-Inflated Growth
Assets growing fast but driven by goodwill-heavy acquisitions with declining efficiency
Asset-Fueled Deleveraging
Debt ratios improving but may reflect asset shrinkage rather than debt paydown
Asset-Funded Deleveraging
Debt declining but asset efficiency falling and depreciation heavy
Balance Sheet Fortress
Company with strong liquidity, high equity ratio, and cash coverage
Cash Accumulation
Cash growing, free cash flow positive, and debt declining over three years
Cash Surplus
Company holding substantial cash relative to assets and obligations
Debt Discipline
Company actively reducing debt while maintaining cash coverage
Debt Financing Activity
Company with active debt issuance and financing cash flows
Debt Maturity
Company debt structure characterized by maturity distribution
Debt Service Capacity
Company with strong cash flow capacity to service debt obligations
Debt-Offset Cash
Cash position looks strong but substantial debt burden exists alongside
Dilution-Funded Deleveraging
Debt declining but share count rising through heavy stock issuance
Goodwill-Heavy Equity
Equity looks strong but depends heavily on goodwill that could be impaired
Hidden Lease Leverage
Equity ratio looks strong but lease obligations add hidden leverage
Hidden Receivables Risk
Liquidity ratios look strong but receivables quality raises questions
Intangible Concentration
Company with substantial intangible assets and goodwill relative to total assets
Inventory and Working Capital Stress
Inventory building up while asset efficiency and working capital deteriorate
Liquidity Strength
Strong liquidity across current, quick, and cash ratio measures
Restricted Cash Position
Strong cash position but some may be restricted or not freely available
Retained Earnings
Company with equity base built primarily from retained profits
Stretched Payables
Working capital looks efficient but payables stretched and inventory building
CapitalEfficiency
Asset Productivity
Company with high returns and turnover from its asset base
Asset-Light Model
Business operating with minimal fixed assets and high asset turnover
Buyback Efficiency
Company with buyback activity supported by returns and cash generation
Capital Efficiency
Business generating high returns relative to capital employed
Cash Conversion Cycle
Company cash conversion cycle from supplier payment to customer collection
Fixed Asset Intensity
Company with substantial physical assets relative to total asset base
Harvest-Mode Cash Flow
Free cash flow strong but assets aging and efficiency declining
Improving Returns
Evolving returns on equity in a growing, profitable business
Leverage-Driven ROE
ROE looks impressive but depends heavily on leverage rather than operations
Sales Productivity
Company generating high revenue relative to capital with healthy margins
Underinvestment Boosts Cash
Low capex boosts FCF but depreciation heavy and assets mostly depreciated
Working Capital Efficiency
Business with efficient receivables, inventory, and payables turnover
Working-Capital-Driven Cash Flow
Operating cash flow improving but working capital deteriorating and accruals are elevated
Growth
Acquisition-Consistent Profile
Material net-acquisitions ratio with elevated goodwill and stable margins during growth
Buyback-Driven EPS
EPS growing but driven by share buybacks rather than business growth
Buyback-Driven Per-Share Growth
Revenue per share growing but driven by buybacks while SGA burden is heavy
Capex Investment Cycle
Heavy capital investment with revenue growth and cash generation
Capital Reinvestment
Company with elevated capital expenditure relative to cash generation
Consistent Growth
Company with steady revenue and earnings growth over time
Dilutive Growth
Growth investment looks aggressive but funded significantly through equity dilution
Earnings Acceleration
Company with accelerating growth in earnings, profits, and cash flow
Growth Compounder
Revenue growth with expanding margins and long-term profitability
Growth Without Margins
Revenue is growing but margins are structurally deteriorating
Low-Quality Earnings Growth
Earnings growing but operating costs heavy and accruals elevated
R&D Investment
Company with elevated R&D spending and intangible asset accumulation
Revenue Growth With Material M&A
Revenue growing alongside material M&A spending and elevated goodwill
Triple Acceleration
Simultaneous acceleration in cash flow, profit, and revenue
Volume-Backed Growth
Company with fundamental growth and volume confirmation in price moves
Income
Cash-Strained Dividend
Dividend history looks reliable but cash generation is structurally weak
Cash-Strained Dividend Growth
Dividend is growing but cash flow coverage is structurally weak
Consistency Under Pressure
Dividend has been consistent but stress indicators fire and FCF consumption is high
Dividend Fortress
Dividend payer with consistent history and cash flow support
Dividend Growth Compounder
Multi-year dividend increase streak with strong growth rate and revenue support
Dividend Growth Track
Company with established pattern of growing dividend payments
Dividend Recovery
Dividend recovering from a previous cut with FCF and revenue support
Dividend Sustainability
Company with dividend well-covered by cash flow from multiple angles
Quality Dividend Yield
Elevated dividend yield with quality and free cash flow support
Shareholder Returns
Company actively returning capital through dividends and buybacks
Strained Payout
Dividend looks attractive but payout dynamics show structural stress
Sustainable Income
Dividend payouts backed by free cash flow and strong equity
Yield Trap Signal
Dividend yield appears attractive but elevated by price decline with dividend stress
MarketStructure
Accumulation Phase
Stock showing accumulation characteristics across multiple indicators
Breakout Readiness
Stock showing consolidation patterns associated with potential breakout
Coiled Spring
Bollinger squeeze with trend strength and revenue growth
Hidden Distribution
Price rising with apparent buying but volume indicators show distribution
Hollow Technical Strength
Price trend looks strong but fundamental metrics are deteriorating
Near Established Resistance Zone
Price has rallied back to a multi-year zone the stock has been rejected from multiple times before
Near Established Support Zone
Price has retreated to a multi-year zone the stock has bounced off of multiple times before
Price Extreme
Stock with price at extreme positions across multiple range indicators
Quality Death Cross
Death cross formed while profitability and cash flow remain strong
Short Squeeze Setup
Stock with conditions associated with potential short squeeze
Squeeze Breakout
Volatility squeeze resolving with volume and trend confirmation
Technical-Fundamental Divergence
Stock where price trend and fundamental growth are misaligned
Volatility Compression
Stock with price volatility compressed across multiple indicators
Volatility Expansion
Volatility expanding with multiple confirmations and volume participation
Volatility Regime Shift
Stock undergoing transition from one volatility state to another
Volume Without Conviction
Volume surging but price diverging and trend exhausting
Volumeless Breakout
Price shows breakout pattern but volume confirmation is absent
Momentum
52-Week High Momentum
Stock near 52-week highs with trend strength and volume confirmation
Breakout with Volume
Price breaking out of consolidation with volume and trend confirmation
Capital Flow Momentum
Stock with price momentum confirmed by capital flow indicators
Consecutive Momentum
Stock with consecutive directional days and trend confirmation
Darvas Box Breakout
Darvas box breakout with volume and directional strength confirmation
Directional Alignment
Stock with multiple directional indicators in agreement on trend presence
Donchian Breakout
Donchian channel breakout with volume and trend confirmation
Exhausted Momentum
Stock shows strong trend but exhaustion indicators suggest overextension
Exhaustion Near Highs
Price near all-time high but trend exhaustion and volatility suggest fatigue
Golden Cross
Stock with golden cross pattern confirmed by trend strength and volume
Higher Lows Trend
Higher lows pattern with directional strength and volume accumulation
Ichimoku Bullish
Ichimoku bullish with trend strength and volume confirmation
Long-Term Quality Trend
Multi-year uptrend backed by sustained profitability and growing book value
Momentum Exhaustion
Stock where multiple momentum indicators suggest trend deceleration
Momentum Without Earnings
Golden cross appears bullish but earnings and asset efficiency are declining
Near All-Time High
Price near all-time high with trend and volume confirmation
New High Momentum
New 52-week highs with volume surge and trend confirmation
Parabolic Extension
Parabolic acceleration with overbought conditions and expanding volatility
Price Channel Breakout
Price channel breakout with volume and directional strength confirmation
Quality Uptrend
Steady one-year uptrend backed by profitability and cash flow
Surface Recovery
Price above 200DMA but earnings compressing and operating costs elevated
Sustained Weekly Advance
Multiple consecutive up weeks with trend strength and volume confirmation
Trend Alignment
Stock with price trend backed by volume participation
Trend Without Conviction
Trend looks strong but volume diverging and momentum decelerating
Uptrend Despite Deterioration
Steady uptrend but earnings and margins are deteriorating underneath
Volume-Price Divergence
Stock where volume indicators are diverging from price behavior
Quality
Accrual-Driven Profit
Profits look healthy but depend heavily on accruals rather than cash generation
Capitalization-Masked Margins
Operating margins expanding while gross profit deteriorates and depreciation runs heavy
Capitalized Operating Costs
Margins improving but may reflect cost capitalization rather than efficiency
Cash Flow Compounder
Business compounding across revenue, cash flow, and book value
Cash Generation
Business that reliably converts revenue into cash at multiple stages
Cash-Rich Momentum
Sustained free cash flow with confirmed price momentum
Competitive Position
Company showing indicators of competitive advantage and strong returns
Cost-Cut Margin Expansion
Operating margins improving but gross profit and asset efficiency are declining
Depreciation Intensity
Company with material depreciation charges relative to earnings
Depreciation-Boosted EBITDA
Strong EBITDA but depreciation may understate true asset consumption
Depreciation-Flatted Margins
Operating margins improving but low depreciation on heavy capital spending
Earnings Integrity
Business with earnings backed by actual cash generation
Efficiency from Aging Assets
Asset efficiency looks strong but the asset base shows signs of aging
Fortress Balance Sheet
Company with a fortress balance sheet, high earnings quality, and strong cash coverage
Free Cash Flow
Company with strong free cash flow relative to assets and equity
Full Margin Quality
Strong margins across gross, operating, and cash flow levels
Inflated Quality
Returns look strong but may be inflated by non-operating or non-recurring items
Margin Erosion by Overhead
Gross margins are strong but overhead expenses erode profitability
Margin Expansion With Revenue Growth
EBIT margins expanding alongside revenue growth and revenue continuity
Margin Quality Gap
Operating margins look better but gross margins deteriorate and earnings are above historical norm
Margin Stack
Company with strong margins across gross, operating, and net levels
Operating Cost Structure
Company where overhead expenses consume a significant portion of gross profit
Operating Leverage
Company with cost structure creating sensitivity to revenue changes
Paper Profits
Profit margins healthy but accruals high and receivables outpacing revenue
Peak Quality Risk
Earnings quality looks strong and margins expanding but reversion risk elevated
Profit-Cash Disconnect
Reported profits look healthy but cash conversion is structurally weak
Quality Compounder
Business with consistent growth and strong cash conversion
Recurring Earnings
Company with earnings dominated by recurring operations
Return on Capital Excellence
Strong returns across equity, assets, and operating metrics
Revenue Quality Concern
Revenue is growing but receivables divergence and cash conversion raise questions
Strong Foundation Growth
Fortress balance sheet combined with consistent revenue growth and profitability
Tax Efficiency
Company tax profile showing effective rates and retention characteristics
Underinvestment Cash Flow
Free cash flow looks strong but capex is below maintenance levels
Risk
Aging Asset Base
Low capex but aging assets suggest deferred replacement needs
Aging Assets
Physical assets are substantially depreciated with material depreciation charges
Confirmed Downtrend
Steady one-year downtrend confirmed by earnings and margin deterioration
Dead Cat Bounce Warning
Price bouncing within a severe decline with falling knife characteristics
Declining at Range Low
Price at range low but earnings and efficiency are genuinely declining
Distress Proximity
Company with multiple financial distress indicators in concerning ranges
Drawdown Risk
Stock with elevated drawdown risk characteristics
Falling Knife
Stock in acute decline with climactic volume and severe drawdown
Goodwill Heavy
Balance sheet dominated by goodwill and intangibles with impairment risk
Inventory Burden
Company with elevated inventory relative to assets and slower turnover
Leverage Warning
Company with elevated debt ratios and weakening interest coverage
Liquidity Stress
Company with multiple indicators of constrained short-term liquidity
Margin Pressure
Business showing profitability erosion from multiple directions
Momentum Exhaustion
Trend showing structural fatigue with elevated volatility
Overbought Exhaustion
Overbought conditions with trend exhaustion and elevated volatility
Oversold but Deteriorating
Oversold conditions but earnings and margins are genuinely deteriorating
Profitability Deterioration
Company with declining profitability metrics across multiple levels
Receivables Stress
Company with signs of customer payment collection challenges
Share Dilution
Company with ongoing share count expansion through various mechanisms
Stock Compensation Burden
Company with material stock-based compensation relative to earnings
Valuation Compression
Company showing conditions associated with potential valuation pressure
Widowmaker Warning
Extreme risk characteristics with elevated volatility and significant drawdown
Stability
Compressed Volatility
Price appears stable but volatility squeeze indicates potential energy building
Defensive Quality
Equity-rich, low-volatility, consistently profitable company
Low Volatility Quality
Calm price behavior backed by consistent profitability and margins
Stable Foundation
Stock with price stability supported by fundamental business stability
Value
Below Book Value With Balance-Sheet Support
Stock trading below book value with adequate liquidity and a contained equity ratio
Contrarian Quality
Price in drawdown while cash flow and earnings quality remain intact
Drawdown Recovery
Stock with significant price decline but intact fundamental quality
Earnings-Risk Discount
Valuation looks cheap but earnings may be above sustainable levels
Extended Decline, Quality Intact
Multiple consecutive down weeks while profitability and equity remain intact
Graham Value
Stock with favorable Graham-style valuation and quality characteristics
Insider Buying
Company with insider buying activity supported by quality fundamentals
Intangible-Heavy Discount
Trading below book value but book is concentrated in intangibles and goodwill
Leveraged Buybacks
Buybacks look generous but leverage is rising and debt issuance is heavy
Low-Quality Discount
Stock appears cheap by valuation metrics but earnings quality is structurally weak
Margin Expansion Unpriced
Expanding operating margins with price position suggesting room to move
Mean Reversion Opportunity
Price near range low with sustained profitability and strong equity
Oversold Quality
Technically oversold while profitability and equity remain strong
Quality at All-Time Low
Price near all-time low but profitability and equity remain intact
Quality at New Lows
New 52-week lows while profitability and cash conversion remain strong
Quality Below 200DMA
Below 200-day moving average but profitability and earnings quality intact
Range-Bound Compounder
Price is range-bound while the business grows and generates cash
Retained Earnings on the Balance Sheet
Company with high retained-earnings weight on the balance sheet, sustained profitability, and a contained equity ratio
Value Floor
Price near range low with profitability and book value providing a floor