Pull Auditor’s Name and Auditor Opinion with MarketXLS

The "=hf_auditors_name_aud_name_and_aud_op" function helps you retrieve the auditor’s name and auditor opinion data for a given company, directly within Excel. This allows analysts and investors to quickly see who audits the company’s financial statements and access key opinion details—essential information for thorough due diligence.

Why Use This Function?

• Fast, Direct Retrieval: Quickly pulls auditor names and opinions without leaving Excel.
• Fundamental Analysis: Verify the credibility of a company’s financials and check the auditor’s stance.
• Risk Assessment: Companies with specific auditor opinions may indicate potential financial risks.
• Historical Comparison: By specifying the year, quarter, or trailing twelve months (TTM), compare auditor details over different periods.

Use this function when you need to confirm which auditing firm oversees a particular company, or when you want to see if there’s any change in the auditor’s opinion from one reporting period to another.

How to Use in Excel

Below is the syntax for the function within Excel:

=hf_auditors_name_aud_name_and_aud_op(Symbol, Year, Quarter, [Optional TTM])

1. Enter the function in a cell.
2. Provide the required arguments: the company Symbol, Year, and optionally Quarter and TTM.
3. Press Enter to see the auditor’s name or opinion.

If you omit Quarter, the function defaults to Quarter “2” internally. Passing "TTM" in the last argument instructs the function to fetch trailing-twelve-month data (where applicable).

Parameters Explained

Example Usage

Below are some real-world examples. Assume that valid MarketXLS licenses are in place and that the ticker symbols are valid US stocks.

Basic Examples

1. Retrieve auditor info using Year only:
   =hf_auditors_name_aud_name_and_aud_op("AAPL","2021","1")
   Explanation:
   • Symbol "AAPL" is Apple.
   • Year "2021".
   • Quarter "1".
   • Fetches the auditor’s name or audit opinion for Apple’s first quarter of 2021.

2. Use TTM to get trailing data:
   =hf_auditors_name_aud_name_and_aud_op("MSFT","2022","2","TTM")
   Explanation:
   • Symbol "MSFT" is Microsoft.
   • Year "2022".
   • Quarter "2".
   • "TTM" indicates trailing twelve months.
   • Returns the most recent TTM-based auditor name/opinion.

3. Omit Quarter:
   =hf_auditors_name_aud_name_and_aud_op("TSLA","2021")
   Explanation:
   • Quarter is omitted, so the function uses "2" internally.
   • Retrieves Tesla’s auditor information for year 2021 based on quarter = "2".

Advanced Scenarios

1. Comparing Multiple Periods:

   • Set up a table with rows of symbols and columns for various years and quarters.
   • Use =hf_auditors_name_aud_name_and_aud_op(symbol, year, quarter) in each cell to quickly compare changes in auditor or opinion from period to period.

2. Integrating with Other Functions:

   • Combine the auditor details with other financial metrics in Excel. For instance, you can cross-check =hf_auditors_name_aud_name_and_aud_op(A2,B2,C2) with the company’s reported net income or other fundamental data in adjacent cells.

3. Consolidated Reporting:

   • Use advanced Excel features (PivotTables, charts) to summarize which auditors serve a range of companies in your portfolio and detect any auditor-opinion changes over time.

Common Questions and Troubleshooting

1. “NA” Result:

   • Check if the Symbol is correct.
   • Make sure your MarketXLS license (Type4) is valid.
   • Verify that the data is available for the specified year/quarter or TTM.

2. “Refreshing” or Delayed Data:

   • Occurs if MarketXLS is fetching or refreshing data. Wait a short while and then recalculate.

3. Using Past Years:

   • The function supports historical data if it is available. If a specific older year or quarter is missing, the function may return “NA”.

4. Numeric vs. Text:

   • If the server responds with numeric data, the function converts it to a number in Excel. Otherwise, it returns raw text.

5. Edge Cases with Quarters:

   • Quarter is empty: function defaults internally to “2.”
   • If TTM is specified as “TTM,” it overrides the quarter-based approach.

By leveraging the "=hf_auditors_name_aud_name_and_aud_op" function in MarketXLS, you can swiftly monitor any changes to auditor details for US-listed companies without leaving Excel—an essential step in comprehensive fundamental analysis.