Companies that pass the Buffett method today

As of October 12, 2026, 22 of the 500 S&P 500 companies pass Kaplio's Buffett method: Adobe (ADBE), Tractor Supply (TSCO), Zoetis (ZTS), FactSet Research Systems (FDS), Deckers Outdoor (DECK), Pentair (PNR), Universal Health Services (UHS), Lululemon Athletica (LULU), PayPal (PYPL), Accenture (ACN), A. O. Smith (AOS), Lennox International (LII), Ulta Beauty (ULTA), Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN), Copart (CPRT), Brown-Forman (BF-B), Align Technology (ALGN), AutoZone (AZO), Target (TGT), Cognizant Technology Solutions (CTSH), Skyworks Solutions (SWKS) and Best Buy (BBY).

The rule: Quality business (70 or more) yielding, before tax, the 10% the method asks for, or close to it.

See these companies in the screener

As of October 12, 2026, 22 of the 500 S&P 500 companies pass Kaplio's Buffett method: a business quality score from 0 to 100 that ignores the price (circle of competence, sustained return on equity, margins, debt and accounting vetoes) and, separately, a price yielding, before tax, the 10 % it asks for, or close to it. 10 of them also pass the Lynch method: the double seal.

This is a computable reconstruction of what Buffett has written in his letters, not his portfolio or his opinion. Passing means the company meets the written rules today; most weeks the list is short, and that is the method, not a flaw.

Analysis: · Data: companies' official filings · Updated

How each company is judged

  1. Circle of competence: banks, insurers and commodity businesses are declared outside the circle ("too hard") instead of being scored
  2. Buy rules: sustained return on equity (ten-year median), stable margins, retained earnings that create value and contained debt
  3. Veto rules: accounting, business and structural signals that rule the company out even if quality is high
  4. Quality 0-100: the result of the rules above, without the price
  5. Price: ten-year earnings projection (equity bond) or, failing that, the farm rule, against a 10 % hurdle: meets its bar, comes close or falls far short
  6. Verdict: approves (high quality and a price that meets or nearly meets its bar), would wait, would not approve or too hard

Source: Berkshire Hathaway shareholder letters, Buffettology (Mary Buffett and David Clark) and The Warren Buffett Way (Robert Hagstrom), distilled into rules by Kaplio. Computed every Monday over the S&P 500.

Approved this week: 22 companies

CompanyQuality 0-100PriceYields today (before tax)Lynch categoryPasses both
Adobe Inc. (ADBE)100close to its bar6.1 %Stalwartyes
Tractor Supply Company (TSCO)100meets its bar8.1 %Stalwart
Zoetis Inc. (ZTS)100meets its bar8.9 %Stalwart
FactSet Research Systems Inc. (FDS)96close to its bar6.0 %Stalwart
Deckers Outdoor Corporation (DECK)94meets its bar7.6 %Fast groweryes
Pentair plc (PNR)93meets its bar7.2 %Stalwartyes
Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS)93meets its bar9.0 %Stalwartyes
Lululemon Athletica Inc. (LULU)91meets its bar18.2 %Fast groweryes
PayPal Holdings, Inc. (PYPL)91meets its bar9.0 %Stalwartyes
Accenture plc (ACN)91meets its bar7.4 %Stalwartyes
A. O. Smith Corporation (AOS)89meets its bar8.5 %Stalwartyes
Lennox International Inc. (LII)89close to its bar5.6 %Stalwart
Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA)88close to its bar5.9 %Stalwart
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (REGN)88close to its bar6.1 %Cyclical
Copart, Inc. (CPRT)86close to its bar6.7 %Stalwartyes
Brown-Forman Corporation (BF-B)84meets its bar8.7 %Cyclical
Align Technology, Inc. (ALGN)80close to its bar5.7 %Turnaround
AutoZone, Inc. (AZO)80close to its bar6.4 %Slow grower
Target Corporation (TGT)80meets its bar7.4 %Cyclical
Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (CTSH)78meets its bar9.8 %Stalwartyes
Skyworks Solutions, Inc. (SWKS)77close to its bar8.9 %Cyclical
Best Buy Co., Inc. (BBY)77meets its bar8.5 %Slow grower

How many pass each week

Weekly count since the Radar started. The jump on September 21, 2026 comes from the rule-by-rule revision of the Buffett and Lynch engines after the September 16 audit, not from a market move.

Changes since October 5, 2026

Entered: Accenture plc (ACN), Brown-Forman Corporation (BF-B), FactSet Research Systems Inc. (FDS), Skyworks Solutions, Inc. (SWKS)

Frequently asked questions

How many companies would Buffett approve today according to Kaplio?

As of October 12, 2026, 22 of the 500 S&P 500 companies pass the method's rules: high quality and a price that meets (or nearly meets) its bar. Recalculated every Monday.

What does Kaplio's Buffett method look at?

First whether the business sits inside the circle of competence (banks, insurers and commodities are out). Then quality: return on equity sustained over a decade, margins, retained earnings and debt, with veto rules. Finally the price, projecting earnings ten years out against a 10 % hurdle rate.

Why is the list so short?

Because the method demands both things at once: a business with quality proven over years and a price that leaves a 10 % return or more. In a richly priced market almost every quality company fails on price and lands in "would wait".

Is this a buy recommendation?

No. It is a mechanical list with public rules, the same for every company. Buffett has not opined on any of them; the name says where the rules come from. Every company links to its page, with Kaplio's overview and reading.

Data as of October 12, 2026. Recalculated every Monday over the S&P 500.