Low Price-Earnings Ratio (Historical)
Returns the lowest P/E ratio reached during a reporting period, calculated using the period's low stock price. This represents the most favorable valuation point during the period.
Understanding the Metric
The Low P/E is calculated as:
Low P/E = Period Low Stock Price / Earnings Per ShareThis metric shows:
- Best buying opportunity (lowest valuation) during period
- Valuation floor for the period
- How cheap the stock got
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_Low_Price_Earnings_Ratio("AAPL", 2023, 4)=hf_Low_Price_Earnings_Ratio("MSFT", "ly")=hf_Low_Price_Earnings_Ratio("GOOGL", 2023, , "TTM")=hf_Low_Price_Earnings_Ratio(A1, B1, C1)=hf_Low_Price_Earnings_Ratio("AMZN", "lq")When to Use
- Identifying historical buying opportunities
- Analyzing valuation ranges
- Understanding period volatility impact
- Building valuation band analysis
- Backtesting value strategies
When NOT to Use
| Scenario | Use Instead |
|---|---|
| Need close/end P/E ratio | hf_Close_price_earnings_ratio() |
| Need current P/E ratio | PERatio() |
| Need forward P/E | forwardPE() |
| Company has negative earnings | P/E is not meaningful |
Common Issues & FAQ
Q: How is this different from close P/E? A: Close P/E uses the ending price. Low P/E uses the lowest price during the period. Low P/E will always be less than or equal to close P/E (assuming positive earnings).
Q: What if earnings are negative? A: With negative earnings, P/E ratios become meaningless. The function may return N/A or a large negative number.
Q: How can I use this in analysis? A: Compare low P/E vs close P/E to understand the valuation range. A large difference indicates high volatility. You might use low P/E as a target entry point for value investing.
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