Oak Growth vs Zacks
Zacks measures whether analysts are raising or lowering their forecasts. Oak Growth measures what the business is worth. Both are legitimate — they're answers to entirely different questions.
The short version
Zacks built its reputation on one idea: tracking revisions to analysts' earnings estimates, expressed as the Zacks Rank. It's a momentum-of-expectations system, not a valuation one. Oak Growth asks a different question entirely — not what analysts are changing their minds about, but what the business is worth.
| Oak Growth | Zacks | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £18/month · £216/year | $249/year (about $20.75/month) |
| Intrinsic value in £ | DCF on every company | None published |
| Core method | Buffett four pillars + DCF | Earnings estimate revisions |
| Sort by margin of safety | One click | Rank 1–5, not a discount |
| Moat and management | Both scored | No |
| Entry timing | MA dots, RSI, MACD, Bollinger, Golden/Death Cross | No |
| Markets | 8, including UK and Asia-Pacific | US-centred |
| Company news | Filtered RNS + SEC 8-K | No |
| 12-month forecast | Analyst target band on the chart | Earnings estimates |
| Track record published | No | Long, widely cited |
The three differences that matter
1. Expectations versus value
The Zacks Rank measures whether analysts are raising or lowering their earnings forecasts. That can be a useful short-term signal. It says nothing about whether a company is trading below what it's worth — a stock can have rising estimates and still be expensive, or falling estimates and be a bargain.
2. A rank isn't a discount
Zacks gives a 1-to-5 rank. Oak Growth gives a value in pounds and the gap between that and today's price, so the entire universe can be sorted by margin of safety. Those are different kinds of answer.
3. Widely known means widely priced in
One honest observation, and it's one Zacks' own reviewers make: earnings revisions are no longer a secret. They're tracked by everyone and reflected quickly in prices. A signal that was genuinely novel in the late 1970s is now standard input.
Where Zacks is stronger
Its rank has a long, publicly documented history, which is more than most systems can claim, and the earnings-estimate data behind it is comprehensive. For investors who trade around earnings revisions, it's the reference tool.
Who each one suits
Zacks if you invest in US shares around earnings momentum and want a documented ranking system.
Oak Growth if you want to know what a business is worth rather than which way forecasts are moving, and want the UK and Asia-Pacific covered alongside the US.
Value, not revisions
Oak Growth publishes a discounted cash flow intrinsic value for 1,000+ companies across eight markets, scored on moat, management, economics and value.
Explore Oak GrowthCommon questions
What is the Zacks Rank based on?
Revisions to analysts' earnings estimates. A company whose forecasts are being raised scores well; one whose forecasts are being cut scores poorly. It is a measure of changing expectations rather than an estimate of what a business is worth.
How much does Zacks Premium cost?
Zacks Premium is around $249 a year, roughly $20.75 a month. Oak Growth is £18 a month, about £216 a year, covering eight markets with an intrinsic value and margin of safety for every company.
Does Zacks give a fair value for stocks?
No. Zacks produces a 1-to-5 rank based on earnings estimate revisions rather than a fair value figure. Without a value to compare against a price, there is no margin of safety to rank by.
Is the Zacks Rank still effective?
Its long-run record is publicly documented, which is unusual. The counter-argument, made by reviewers and by Zacks users themselves, is that earnings revisions are now tracked universally and priced in quickly, so any edge from following them is smaller than it once was.
Also see: Oak Growth vs Value Line → · Oak Growth vs Morningstar → · How to calculate intrinsic value →