Value Line
valueline.com
Independent stock research known for one-page reports with 3-to-5-year projections and Timeliness and Safety ranks, in print and digital from $199 a year.
What it is
Value Line has published The Value Line Investment Survey for decades, and its format is still the draw: one dense page per company with long runs of historical financial data, analyst commentary, 3-to-5-year price and earnings projections and 18-month target prices. Each stock also carries Value Line's own ranks: Timeliness (expected relative price performance over the next 6 to 12 months, 1 highest to 5 lowest), Safety (total risk, built from price stability and financial strength) and a Technical rank for the next three to six months.
Subscriptions are sold by how much of the market you want. Investor 600 ($199 a year) covers roughly 600 large caps; Investor 900 and Investor 2400 add small and mid caps; Smart Investor ($598) covers stocks making up about 90% of US market capitalisation across more than 90 industries; Savvy Investor ($795) goes to more than 3,000 stocks and seven model portfolios. Classic print editions are priced the same as their digital counterparts, and Selection & Opinion ($199) is the weekly commentary with model portfolios on its own.
The digital edition adds tools, but with tight limits: on Smart Investor, 10 saved screens returning 50 companies each, 3 watchlists of 15 stocks, alerts on up to 25 companies and 5 saved charts. Prices are for one or two years; there is no monthly option. Value Line is research for longer-term stock investors, not a trading platform, and it also sells library subscriptions, so a local library may carry it.
Key features
- One-page stock reports
- Full-page reports with years of historical financial data, analyst commentary, 3-to-5-year price and earnings projections and 18-month target prices.
- Timeliness, Safety and Technical ranks
- Proprietary 1-to-5 ranks for expected 6-to-12-month relative performance, overall risk and 3-to-6-month price trend, applied to about 1,700 stocks; only 100 stocks get a Timeliness rank of 1 at any time.
- Tiered coverage
- From about 600 large caps (Investor 600) to more than 3,000 large, mid and small caps (Savvy Investor).
- Model portfolios
- Actively managed model portfolios: five on Smart Investor, seven on Savvy Investor, four in Selection & Opinion.
- Digital tools
- Stock screener, watchlists, alerts on price, valuation, ranks and analyst updates, and charts with up to 11 indicators, each with fixed limits.
- Print editions
- The classic printed Investment Survey, Value Line 600 and Small & Mid-Cap editions remain available, with digital access on some.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Investor 600 (digital) | $199/yr or $398 for 2 years | About 600 major large-cap stocks |
| Investor 900 (digital) | $249/yr or $498 for 2 years | 600 large caps plus 300 small and mid caps |
| Small Cap Investor (digital) | $225/yr or $450 for 2 years | About 90% of the small- and mid-cap market |
| Investor 2400 (digital) | $448/yr or $896 for 2 years | 600 large caps plus about 1,800 small and mid caps |
| Smart Investor (digital) | $598/yr | Stocks covering about 90% of US market cap, 90+ industries, five model portfolios |
| Savvy Investor (digital) | $795/yr | 3,000+ stocks and seven model portfolios |
| Selection & Opinion | $199/yr or $398 for 2 years | Weekly economic and market commentary with model portfolios; print or digital |
| The Value Line Investment Survey (print) | $598/yr | Classic print edition with full-page reports and ranks |
Prices are for individuals; professional and library subscriptions are sold separately. Value Line advertises a free trial, but its terms were not stated on the pages read. Two-year prices for Smart Investor and Savvy Investor are listed as renewal prices. Free daily and weekly market newsletters are available by email.
Free option: No free plan for the reports. Value Line offers a free daily Stock Market Today email and a free weekly Market Focus newsletter, and advertises a free trial of its paid services.
Checked September 25, 2026 on investors.valueline.com. Prices change; confirm on the provider's site before you subscribe.
Strengths
- A consistent one-page format that makes companies easy to compare side by side
- Long-running proprietary ranks for timeliness and safety
- Several coverage tiers, so small portfolios can start at $199 a year
- Print editions remain available for investors who prefer paper
Limitations
- Digital tools have tight caps, such as 3 watchlists of 15 stocks and alerts on 25 companies on Smart Investor
- Billing is yearly or two-yearly only, with no monthly plan
- Coverage is mainly North American stocks; the broadest plan reaches about 3,000
- Free trial terms are not spelled out on the pricing pages
Good fit for
- Long-term stock investors who want independent analyst projections
- Investors who screen by quality and risk rankings rather than price action
- Investment clubs and readers used to the printed Value Line pages
Look elsewhere if
- Active traders who need real-time data, charting or options tools
- Investors who want a monthly plan or broad international coverage
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Value Line questions
How much does Value Line cost?
Digital plans for individuals run from $199 a year (Investor 600) to $795 a year (Savvy Investor). The full Investment Survey, digital or print, is $598 a year.
What is the Value Line Timeliness rank?
A 1-to-5 rank of a stock's expected relative price performance over the next 6 to 12 months, with 1 the highest. It is built from trends in relative earnings and prices and earnings surprises.
What does the Value Line Safety rank measure?
Total risk relative to other covered stocks, derived from price stability and the company's financial strength rating. 1 is safest and 5 riskiest.
Is Value Line available as a monthly subscription?
No. Individual plans are sold for one or two years.
Can I read Value Line for free?
Value Line's free daily and weekly email newsletters are open to anyone, and it sells library subscriptions, so your local library may offer access.
Written from Value Line's own website and documentation. All Trading Tools lists and compares tools; it does not recommend trades or give financial advice. Sources: valueline.com, investors.valueline.com, investors.valueline.com/service-category/services/equities/digital-equities-services, investors.valueline.com/service-category/services/equities/classic-print-services, investors.valueline.com/product/the-value-line-investment-survey-smart-investor, valuelinepro.com/value-line-ranking-system.