Price To Earnings Ratio (Historical)
Returns the historical price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio for a company. This classic valuation metric shows how much investors pay per dollar of earnings.
Formula
P/E Ratio = Share Price / Earnings Per Share
Parameters
| Parameter | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Symbol | Yes | Stock ticker symbol |
| Year | Yes | Fiscal year or period code |
| Quarter | No | Quarter 1-4 |
| TTM | No | "TTM" for trailing twelve months |
Interpretation
- Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation or slow growth
- Higher P/E may indicate growth expectations or overvaluation
- Compare within same industry
Examples
=hf_Price_to_Earnings_Ratio("AAPL", 2023, 4)=hf_Price_to_Earnings_Ratio("MSFT", "ly")=hf_Price_to_Earnings_Ratio("GOOGL", 2023, , "TTM")When to Use
- Historical valuation analysis
- Valuation trend tracking
- Mean reversion analysis
- Industry P/E comparisons
When NOT to Use
| Scenario | Use Instead |
|---|---|
| Current P/E | PERatio() |
| Forward P/E | forwardPE() |
| PEG ratio | PEGRatio() |
Common Issues & FAQ
Q: Why is P/E negative or NA? A: Negative earnings result in meaningless P/E. NA may indicate no earnings data.
Q: What's a good P/E ratio? A: Varies by industry and growth. S&P 500 historical average is around 15-20.
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