If you're looking to invest in stocks, it will help if you have a few ratios or numbers to check to determine if a particular stock is worth investigating further. Here are five easy-to-find ratios or numbers that will give you some comfort that a stock may be worth buying. Don't think you can find a suitable investment by just looking at these five numbers. This is only a first step, before getting into the balance sheet and income statement and really digging in. But by looking at these numbers, you'll know whether you want to proceed further.

1. P/E Ratio: Right now the average Price to Earnings (P/E) ratio for stocks reporting earnings is about 20. If you find a stock that has a higher P/E ratio than 20, then the market is expecting the company to grow faster than the average company reporting earnings. So the first check is to look at the P/E: if it's higher than 20, the earnings better be there to support the stock; if it's lower than 20, then maybe the stock isn't growing as much as the average company is, or maybe it is and the market hasn't rewarded the stock yet. With the market in turmoil, you definitely want to be sure any stock you consider has a growth rate higher than its P/E ratio, also known as the PEG.
2. Price to Sales Ratio (PSR): This is the number you want below 3, and preferably below 1. This measures a company's stock price against the sales per share. Studies have shown that a PSR above 3 almost guarantees a loss while those below 1 give you a much better chance for success.
3. Return on Equity: Supposedly Warren Buffet's favorite number, this measures how much your investment is actually earning. When you see a number around 20% or better, this is a good thing. Of course, one hit wonders don't count. You're looking for 20% or better over at least five years, a very difficult task.