Frequently Asked Questions

What is ValueView.io?

ValueView is an AI-assisted value investing desk that turns public filings into Buffett–Munger style Markdown reports, you can read, share, and save them as PDF files.

Who is it for?

Fund analysts, PMs, and serious individual investors who want a fast first-pass valuation with transparent assumptions and ranges.

What is Buffett–Munger style analysis?

Buffett–Munger style analysis is a framework for valuing companies that is based on the principles of value investing. It is named after Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger, who are two of the most successful investors of all time. The framework is based on the following principles:

• Stocks are ownership of a company. Buying a stock is like buying a part of a company.
• Stocks of good companies have an intrinsic value. The intrinsic value of a company is the present value of its future cash flows.
• The price of a stock can be higher or lower than the intrinsic value. But sooner or later, the stock price will eventually equal to its intrinsic value.
• The stock price may be far below its intrinsic value for a long time. Seriously investors should buy stocks with a big discount to its intrinsic value, which is called the margin of safety.
• To calculate the intrinsic value of a company, you must understand its business, the management team, the industry, the financial statements, and make sure it can survive and grow for a long time. Serious investors only buy stocks they know well.

What data do you use?

Recent public filings, transcripts, and price/volume history. All information is publicly available.

What is the difference between Free and Premium reports?

Free reports show the full write-up including valuations. Premium reports blur valuation ladders for free users; Premium Pass subscribers see everything.

What are Premium Pass tiers and prices?

• Silver Pass: $29/mo ($290/yr)
• Gold Pass: $99/mo ($990/yr)
• Platinum Pass: $299/mo ($2990/yr)
• Tiers adjust watchlist limits and weekly “undervalued gem” drops.

Can I search reports without logging in?

Yes. Free and Premium metadata are searchable by ticker or name; Premium valuations unlock after sign-in with an active subscription.

Do subscribers get alerts and watchlists?

Yes. Add tickers to a watchlist, receive weekly valuation snapshots, and get notifications when new reports match your followed symbols.

How do print work?

Every published report is viewable in-browser and can be saved as a PDF file by print feature of any browser.

Is this investment advice?

No. Reports are AI-generated, curated for quality, and provided for information only. Always perform your own diligence.

Why there's no analysis for my company?

We currently cover the top 100 S&P 500 names and are expanding to the full index plus select non-index companies. Paid subscribers can email tickers they like; we will decide whether to add them.

How should I use a ValueView report and intrinsic value?

Treat intrinsic value as a first-pass filter to save research time; do deeper work only on companies priced below intrinsic value.

If intrinsic value is above the current price, can I buy immediately?

No. AI analysis can be wrong and data can be off—verify the logic and inputs first. Intrinsic value is an estimate and moves over time; you must understand the business to judge reasonableness. Apply a margin of safety: Buffett often wants at least 30% for stable firms, meaning buy only when price is under 70% of intrinsic. Adjust the margin to your knowledge and risk tolerance.

What if every stock I like trades above its intrinsic value?

Wait. The market does not punish you for not owning stocks, but it does punish buying at the wrong price.

Why can’t I find an analysis for my ticker on ValueView?

We currently cover the top 100 S&P 500 names and are expanding to the full index plus select non-index companies. Paid subscribers can email tickers they like; we will decide whether to add them.

What is a margin of safety?

Graham defined it as the gap between intrinsic value and the purchase price. Smart investors buy only with sufficient margin. Graham suggested 30–50%; Buffett typically wants 20–30%. Higher margins reduce loss odds but shrink the investable set. Professionals set different margins by industry and company quality. ValueView defaults to 30%.

How do I calculate the purchase price of a ticker?

Purchase price = intrinsic value × (1 − margin). ValueView uses 30%, so a $100 intrinsic value yields a $70 suggested purchase price.

What if I can’t find any stocks that meet my margin of safety?

Stay patient and hold cash. Many value investors (Buffett, Munger, Li Lu, Monish Pabrai) will wait years without trading. Markets punish mistakes, not inaction.

When should I sell a stock?

• Price is clearly overvalued—far above intrinsic value (e.g., 2×).
• Your earlier intrinsic estimate was too high and holding risks large capital loss.
• You find a better opportunity that meets your margin of safety.

I’ve held a stock for a long time and it’s still down—what now?

Re-estimate intrinsic value after each quarterly and annual report. Decide to hold or sell based on price versus intrinsic and the sell rules above.

Investors act on value versus price; speculators chase price moves. Intrinsic value estimation is hard—ValueView uses AI to help retail investors avoid repeated mistakes.

If price is below intrinsic value, will it definitely rise?

No. Intrinsic estimates (yours or AI’s) can be wrong; black swans can erode value. A company’s intrinsic value can drop below today’s price and stay there. Know the business and your circle of competence before buying and holding.

Buffett says “never lose money,” but he has had big drawdowns—is he contradicting himself?

No. His rule means buy well below intrinsic value, not perfectly at the bottom. Even buying below intrinsic can still lose money. Diversification is essential for retail investors—don’t bet everything on one or two stocks.

How many stocks should a retail investor hold?

Graham suggested at least 30 names with each under 2.5% of capital. In today’s rich markets that may be hard. With abundant data, tracking ~50 and owning ~10 across industries at ~10% each can reduce single-name risk. ValueView reports help you save time so you can cover more names.

Pros tell people to buy ETFs but they trade single stocks—are they misleading retail investors?

No. For most people without time or knowledge, broad ETFs are the best choice and often beat star active funds. In the AI era, motivated investors can use tools like ValueView to do professional-grade analysis quickly and potentially beat ETFs. ETFs charge fees; direct stock picking does not, so equal gross returns can mean higher net returns for stock pickers.

Why do many active funds trail ETFs?

Incentives differ: managers earn fees on assets, so they prioritize scale. Larger funds have fewer attractive opportunities and higher expense ratios (often >1% vs. <0.5% for ETFs—QQQ ~0.2%, VGT ~0.09%), making outperformance harder.

Why are many undervalued stocks surrounded by bad news, and should I buy them?

Bad news often creates undervaluation. Buy only if you understand the business and believe the issue is temporary with solid long-term prospects. Otherwise, skip it. Margin of safety matters, but even Buffett takes losses—diversify and avoid heavy concentration.

If pros say beating the S&P 500 is hard, can individuals really do better?

Yes. Pros are constrained by huge AUM (often >$100B) and can’t touch many sub-$1B companies. With smaller portfolios, retail investors lack that constraint. Using AI tools like ValueView, individuals can make higher-probability decisions and aim to outperform the index over time.