How Does the “Self” Relation Work in Fincanva Screeners?

The Self relation in Fincanva screeners allows you to compare the current value of a metric to its own past value. This enables you to capture momentum, trend shifts, or reversals directly in your screening logic — without needing external benchmarks.

What the "Self" Filter Does

When applying a filter (e.g., % Change in Price), you can use standard relational operators like:

• > (greater than)

• < (less than)

• >= (greater than or equal to)

• <= (less than or equal to)

By selecting “Self” as the comparison type, you're instructing the system to:

Compare the value of the indicator at one point in time to its own value at a previous point.

How to Configure It

1. Add a filter to your screener (e.g., % Change or P/E Ratio).

2. Set the comparison to > or another operator.

3. Choose Self as the comparison source.

4. Click the cog icon to configure both timeframes:

   • Current value (e.g., 1 month ago)

   • Comparison value (e.g., 3 months ago)

This lets you build conditions like:

“% Change from 1 month ago is greater than % Change from 3 months ago.”

Example Use Case

You want to identify assets showing accelerating performance:

• Add the % Change filter

• Set it to >

• Choose Self

• Configure the current value as 1 month ago, and the comparison as 3 months ago

This will screen for assets where recent returns are higher than earlier returns — suggesting positive momentum.

Why It Matters

The Self relation adds a time-aware layer to your screening. Instead of just checking static thresholds, you're able to:

• Track trends and inflection points

• Detect accelerating or slowing metrics

• Build more responsive and dynamic strategies

This makes your screeners more aligned with real-world investment behaviors and patterns.