MarketXLS

Preferred Shares (Historical)

Returns the historical number of preferred shares outstanding for a company. Preferred shares are a class of stock that typically pays fixed dividends and has priority over common stock in dividend payments and liquidation.

Supported Symbols

Type Format Example
US Stocks SYMBOL BAC, WFC
ETFs SYMBOL SPY, QQQ
International SYMBOL Various

Parameters

Parameter Description
Symbol Stock ticker symbol
Year Fiscal year (2020, 2021) or period code (lq, ly, lt)
Quarter Optional: 1, 2, 3, or 4 for quarterly data
TTM Optional: Set to "TTM" for trailing twelve months

Preferred vs Common Shares

Feature Preferred Common
Dividends Fixed, priority Variable
Voting Usually none Yes
Liquidation Priority Last
Growth Limited Unlimited

Notes

  • Many companies have zero preferred shares
  • Banks and utilities often issue preferred stock
  • Preferred shares are deducted from equity for book value per share calculation

Syntax

=hf_Preferred_shares(Symbol, Year, [Quarter], [TTM])
Excel Desktop (Windows)

Parameters

symbolstringRequired

Stock ticker symbol

yearstringRequired

Fiscal year or period code (lq, ly, etc.)

quarterstring

Calendar quarter (1-4)

TTMstring

Set to 'TTM' for trailing twelve months

Returns

number

Number of preferred shares outstanding

Examples

=hf_Preferred_shares("BAC", 2023)
Bank of America preferred shares
=hf_Preferred_shares("WFC", 2023, 2)
Wells Fargo Q2 2023
=hf_Preferred_shares("C", "ly")
Citigroup last fiscal year
=hf_Preferred_shares("JPM", 2023, , "TTM")
JPMorgan TTM
=hf_Preferred_shares(A1, B1, C1)
Cell references

When to Use

  • Analyzing capital structure
  • Calculating book value per common share
  • Understanding dividend obligations
  • Bank and financial analysis
  • Capital structure comparison

When NOT to Use

Scenario Use Instead
Need common shares hf_Total_common_shares_outstanding()
Need total shares hf_Total_ordinary_shares()
Need treasury shares hf_Treasury_shares()
Need current shares outstanding Shares_Outstanding()

Common Issues & FAQ

Why do I get zero for most companies?

Many companies, especially tech companies, don't issue preferred stock. It's more common in financial services and utilities.

Why are preferred shares important?

Preferred dividends must be paid before common dividends. Understanding preferred share count helps assess dividend obligations and true book value per common share.

Why am I getting "NA"?

The company may not have preferred shares, or the data may not be available for that period.

Related Formulas

More MarketXLS Historical Fundamentals formulas you can use in the same worksheet:

See hf_Preferred_shares used in a complete workbook: Preferred Stock Symbols: How to Find, Analyze, and Track Preferred Shares in Excel

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MarketXLS Excel Add-in Tutorial - How to Use Preferred Shares (Historical) and Other Financial Formulas
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