Earnings Indicator (Historical) Formula in Excel

Use the Earnings Indicator (Historical) formula in Excel with MarketXLS to quickly retrieve historical earnings data for a specific ticker symbol. This helps you measure overall earnings growth by year or quarter, track performance over trailing twelve months, and make informed investment decisions.

Understanding Earnings Indicator (Historical)

The Earnings Indicator (Historical) formula:

• Shows past earnings data to help analyze trends or growth over time.
• Allows you to specify a particular year, quarter, and optional trailing twelve months (TTM) period.
• Returns a numeric value or string indicating the historical earnings figure.

Key Benefits

• Provides quick access to historical insight for fundamental analysis.
• Offers flexibility to target different periods (e.g., last quarter, last year, or trailing twelve months).
• Integrates seamlessly with Excel for easy charting and comparisons.

When to Use

• Evaluating a stock’s earnings progression over time.
• Comparing year-over-year or quarter-over-quarter growth.
• Complementing broader fundamental analysis.

Syntax and Parameters

=hf_Earnings_Indicator(Symbol, year, [quarter], [TTM])

Return Value

• Returns a numeric value when data is successfully retrieved.
• Returns "NA" if the symbol is invalid, the data does not exist, or the MarketXLS license is not valid.

Error Handling

?? Note: If you pass an invalid symbol or if your MarketXLS subscription does not support this feature, the function may return “NA”.

Special Cases & Limitations

• If year is set to a special notation like "lq", "ly", or "lt", the function automatically calculates the corresponding recent quarter, year, or TTM data.
• MarketXLS must be installed and licensed properly for this function to work.

Performance Considerations

• This function relies on MarketXLS API calls; performance can vary depending on your internet speed and data availability.
• Caching is used on the backend to improve response times.

Examples and Usage

Below are some examples illustrating how to use the Earnings Indicator (Historical) formula in different scenarios. Adjust parameters as needed.

1. Basic Usage

   =hf_Earnings_Indicator("MSFT", "2022")

   Returns the historical earnings indicator for Microsoft in 2022, quarter defaults to 1.

2. Specifying Quarter

   =hf_Earnings_Indicator("MSFT", "2022", 2)

   Returns the historical earnings indicator for Microsoft in Q2 2022.

3. Using TTM (Trailing Twelve Months)

   =hf_Earnings_Indicator("MSFT", "2022", 3, "TTM")

   Returns the value for the trailing twelve months period ending Q3 2022.

4. Last Quarter or Last Year

   =hf_Earnings_Indicator("MSFT", "lq")
   =hf_Earnings_Indicator("MSFT", "ly")

   • "lq" retrieves the last reported quarter.
   • "ly" retrieves the last reported year.

5. Cell Reference for Year

   =hf_Earnings_Indicator("MSFT", A1)

   Where cell A1 has the value 2022.

6. Using Excel Date Functions

   =hf_Earnings_Indicator("MSFT", TEXT(A1, "yyyy"))

   Converts an Excel date in A1 to just the year, passing it to the function.

7. Symbols of Different Types

   • Stock:

     =hf_Earnings_Indicator("MSFT", "2022")

   • Index:

     =hf_Earnings_Indicator("^SPX", "2022")

   • Option:

     =hf_Earnings_Indicator("@MSFT 110122C00020000", "2022")

   • Crypto:

     =hf_Earnings_Indicator("BTCUSD:DEFAULT", "2022")

? Pro Tip: Combine this function with Excel charts to visualize how a company’s earnings indicator changes over time.

Common Questions

1. What does “NA” mean in the formula’s output?

   • If the symbol is invalid, the data is missing, or your MarketXLS license does not cover this feature, the function will return “NA.”

2. Can I use this function to retrieve data for indices or options?

   • Absolutely. You can pass “^SPX” for S&P 500, option notations like “@MSFT 110122C00020000,” or even crypto symbols like “BTCUSD:DEFAULT.”

3. How do I get quarter-over-quarter growth using this function?

   • Retrieve data for two consecutive quarters (for example, “2022 Q1” and “2022 Q2”) and then calculate the difference or percentage change in separate Excel cells.

4. Does the function automatically handle leap years or calendar variations?

   • For date-based calculations, MarketXLS attempts to align with standard financial reporting rules. Special keywords like “lq,” “ly,” or “lt” handle these variations internally.

5. Why do I see different values when I specify “TTM”?

   • TTM (Trailing Twelve Months) aggregates data from the specified quarter back one full year, possibly including partial quarters. This may differ from a single quarter’s or single year’s numeric value.

?? Note: Ensure that you have a stable internet connection and the latest MarketXLS updates for the best experience.

For related historical fundamental insights, check out:

• Revenue (Historical)
• Cost Of Revenue (Historical)
• Gross Profit (Historical)
• R & D Expenses (Historical)
• Selling General and Administrative Expense (Historical)