Inventory Valuation Method (Historical)

Returns the inventory valuation method (FIFO, LIFO, Average Cost, etc.) used by a company.

Parameters

Parameter Required Description
Symbol Yes Stock ticker symbol
Year Yes Fiscal year or period code
Quarter No Calendar quarter 1-4
TTM No Set to "TTM" for trailing twelve months

Common Methods

Method Description
FIFO First In, First Out
LIFO Last In, First Out
AVG Average Cost
SPEC Specific Identification

Examples

=hf_Inventory_valuation_method("WMT", 2023, 4)
Walmart's method
=hf_Inventory_valuation_method("CAT", "ly", 2)
Caterpillar's method
Cell references

When to Use

  • Comparing inventory valuations
  • Understanding accounting policies
  • LIFO reserve adjustments
  • Peer comparison normalization

When NOT to Use

Scenario Use Instead
Need inventory amounts hf_Total_inventory()
Need cost of goods sold hf_Cost_of_goods_sold()

Common Issues & FAQ

Q: Why does inventory method matter? A: LIFO vs FIFO affects reported inventory value, COGS, and net income. Important for cross-company comparisons.

Get Access to 1 Billion Usable Market data points IN YOUR EXCEL SHEETS WITH EASY TO USE EXCEL FUNCTIONS

Get started today
MarketXLS Excel Add-in Tutorial - How to Use Inventory Valuation Method (Historical) and Other Financial Formulas
How does MarketXLS work?