Close Price-Earnings Ratio (Historical)
Returns the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio based on the closing stock price at the end of a reporting period. This represents the valuation multiple at a specific point in time.
Understanding the Metric
The P/E ratio is calculated as:
P/E = Stock Price / Earnings Per ShareThis metric shows:
- How much investors pay per dollar of earnings
- Historical valuation levels
- Comparison of valuations across time periods
Parameters
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Symbol | Stock ticker (e.g., AAPL, MSFT) |
| Year | Fiscal year or period code (lq, ly, lq-1, ly-1, lt, lt-1) |
| Quarter | Optional: 1, 2, 3, or 4 (default: 1) |
| TTM | Optional: "TTM" for trailing twelve months |
Period Codes
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| lq | Last reported quarter |
| lq-1 | Quarter before last |
| ly | Last fiscal year |
| ly-1 | Year before last |
| lt | Last trailing twelve months |
| lt-1 | Prior trailing twelve months |
Examples
=hf_Close_price_earnings_ratio("AAPL", 2023, 4)=hf_Close_price_earnings_ratio("MSFT", "ly")=hf_Close_price_earnings_ratio("GOOGL", 2023, , "TTM")=hf_Close_price_earnings_ratio(A1, B1, C1)=hf_Close_price_earnings_ratio("AMZN", "lq")When to Use
- Analyzing historical valuation trends
- Comparing valuations across time periods
- Understanding how P/E has evolved
- Building valuation trend analysis
- Backtesting valuation strategies
When NOT to Use
| Scenario | Use Instead |
|---|---|
| Need current P/E ratio | PERatio() |
| Need low P/E for period | hf_Low_Price_Earnings_Ratio() |
| Need forward P/E | forwardPE() |
| Company has negative earnings | P/E is not meaningful |
Common Issues & FAQ
Q: What does a negative or N/A P/E mean? A: Negative P/E occurs when earnings are negative (a loss). The ratio becomes meaningless, so it may show as N/A or a large negative number.
Q: Why is this different from current P/E? A: This is a historical snapshot at period end. Current P/E uses today's price. Stock price changes daily, so P/E changes too.
Q: How do I compare valuations fairly? A: Compare P/E ratios for the same period (e.g., all Q4 2023) across companies, or compare the same company's P/E across multiple periods.
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