Glossary A-Z
Every term used in the screener and on the stock pages, explained in one or two sentences.
1
1-year estimated return
The projected total return from today's price over one year, implied by the value estimate. It compares Ticker Picker's model value with today's price. A model estimate depends on its inputs and is not a forecast or a promise.
Learn more →1-year value estimate
A model-based estimate of the share's intrinsic value one year out, based on projected fundamentals. Compare it with the current price: if the estimate is far above, the model sees the share as cheap. It is a model output that depends on its inputs - not a price forecast.
Learn more →10-year estimated return
The projected total return over ten years from today's price. Longer horizons carry more uncertainty. Ten-year estimates are very sensitive to growth assumptions. Use them to see which companies the model finds cheap or expensive today, not as a prediction.
Learn more →10-year value estimate
A model-based estimate of the share's intrinsic value ten years out. Longer horizons carry more uncertainty. Ten years is a long time for any model; the estimate is most useful for comparing how differently companies are valued today.
Learn more →3
3-year estimated return
The projected total return over three years from today's price. The further ahead, the more the estimate depends on assumptions about growth and profitability. Treat it as a way to compare companies, not as an expected return.
Learn more →3-year value estimate
A model-based estimate of the share's intrinsic value three years out. Longer horizons depend more on assumptions about growth and margins. Use the estimate to compare companies, not as a promise.
Learn more →5
5-year estimated return
The projected total return over five years from today's price. A five-year view smooths out short-term price swings but rests on assumptions that can change a lot. It is a model output, not a recommendation.
Learn more →5-year value estimate
A model-based estimate of the share's intrinsic value five years out. Like all model values, it rests on assumptions; check the company's actual growth and cash flow before relying on it.
Learn more →52-week range
The lowest and highest price of the share over the last year. It shows where the price stands compared with the past year. A share near its low is not automatically cheap - the business may have weakened.
Learn more →A
Accounts payable
Money the company owes its suppliers for goods and services it has received. Paying suppliers later frees up cash; days payable outstanding (DPO) shows how long the company takes.
Learn more →Accounts receivable
Money customers owe the company for goods or services already delivered. Receivables growing much faster than revenue can be a warning sign: customers pay slower, or sales are booked aggressively.
Learn more →Accrued liabilities
Costs the company has incurred but not yet paid or been billed for, such as wages and interest. They are part of the current liabilities: bills that will have to be paid soon, even though no invoice has arrived yet.
Learn more →Accumulated other comprehensive income
Gains and losses that have not passed through the income statement yet, such as currency translation and some investment changes. For companies with large foreign operations, currency moves can make this line swing a lot.
Learn more →Acquisitions
Cash spent buying other companies or businesses. Growth through acquisitions can look impressive but is often expensive; part of the price usually ends up as goodwill.
Learn more →Additional paid-in capital
Money investors paid for new shares above their par value. Together with common stock it shows how much money shareholders have put into the company directly, as opposed to profits kept.
Learn more →Altman Z-score
A formula combining profit, debt and assets that estimates the risk of financial distress. Below about 1.8 is a warning zone. The Altman Z-score was designed for manufacturing companies and is less reliable for banks, insurers and young companies. Above about 3 is often considered safe.
Learn more →Asset allocation
How your money is split between shares, bonds, cash and other asset classes. Your allocation matters more for your risk and long-term return than which individual shares you pick. It should fit your time horizon and risk tolerance.
Learn more →Asset turnover
Revenue divided by total assets: how much sales the company generates per dollar of assets. Retailers turn their assets over quickly; utilities and real estate slowly.
Learn more →Assets to equity
Total assets divided by shareholders' equity: how many dollars of assets each dollar of equity carries. A higher number means more of the company is financed by debt (more leverage). Banks often have 10 or more.
Learn more →B
Bear market
A fall of 20 % or more from a recent peak in a broad market index. Bear markets are a normal part of investing and have historically been followed by recoveries, though it can take years.
Learn more →Beta
How much a share price has moved compared with the whole market: 1 = like the market, above 1 = bigger swings, below 1 = calmer. Beta is calculated from past prices, usually over several years, so it can change. It describes how the share has moved, not how risky the business itself is.
Learn more →Bid and ask (spread)
The bid is the highest price a buyer offers, the ask the lowest price a seller accepts; the gap between them is a hidden trading cost. For large, heavily traded shares the spread is tiny; for small shares it can be several percent. Limit orders help you avoid paying a wide spread.
Learn more →Bond
A loan to a government or company that pays interest and is repaid at a set date. Bonds usually move less than shares and pay a fixed interest. Their prices fall when interest rates rise.
Learn more →Broker
A bank or platform that sends your orders to the stock exchange and keeps your shares in an account in your name. Choose a broker that is supervised by your country's financial authority, and compare fees for trades, currency exchange and custody.
Learn more →Bull market
A long period of generally rising share prices. Bull markets can last for years. Rising prices can make investors overconfident - which is when diversification matters most.
Learn more →Business sector
The broad industry a company belongs to, such as Specialty Retail or Real Estate Investment Trusts. Handy for comparing companies in the same line of business. Companies in the same sector are affected by many of the same things - interest rates, raw-material prices, consumer spending - so it makes sense to compare their numbers with each other.
Learn more →Buyback yield
Money spent on buying back the company's own shares over the last year, as a percentage of its market value. Buying back shares reduces the number of shares, so each remaining share owns a bigger part of the company. It is an alternative to paying dividends.
Learn more →C
CAGR (compound annual growth rate)
The steady yearly growth rate that would turn the starting value into the ending value over the period. CAGR smooths out ups and downs into one yearly rate, which makes periods and companies easier to compare.
Learn more →Capital expenditures (capex)
Money spent on buildings, machines and other long-lived assets. Capex is the investment needed to keep and grow the business. Comparing capex with depreciation shows whether a company is maintaining or expanding its assets.
Learn more →Capital expenditures growth
The change in capital expenditures compared with the same period a year earlier. Rising investment can be a sign of expected demand - or of a business that needs more and more capital to keep growing.
Learn more →Capital gain
The profit when you sell an investment for more than you paid. Often taxed. Many countries tax gains when you sell, and losses can often be set off against gains. Rules differ a lot between countries - check your local tax authority.
Learn more →Capital leases (current)
Finance (capital) lease payments for buildings, equipment and similar assets that fall due within a year. Finance leases work like debt, so Ticker Picker adds them to total debt. Operating leases are not included here.
Learn more →Capital leases (non-current)
Finance (capital) lease payments that fall due more than a year from now. Finance leases work like debt, so Ticker Picker adds them to total debt. Operating leases are not included here.
Learn more →Cash and equivalents
Cash in the bank and very short-term, easily sold investments. Cash gives a company flexibility in a crisis and room for investments. Very large cash piles that earn little can also lower the return for shareholders.
Learn more →Cash conversion cycle
DSO + DIO - DPO: the number of days from paying suppliers until customers have paid. A short or even negative cycle means the business is partly financed by its suppliers and customers.
Learn more →Cash from financing
Cash from or to lenders and shareholders: new loans, repayments, dividends and buybacks. Negative financing cash flow usually means the company pays dividends, buys back shares or repays debt; positive means it raises money.
Learn more →Cash from investing
Cash spent on (or received from) investments such as equipment, acquisitions and securities. It is usually negative because companies invest in their future. Very large negative amounts can mean big acquisitions.
Learn more →Cash from operations
The cash the day-to-day business brought in during the period. Over several years, cash from operations should roughly match net income. If profit is high but cash is low, check why - for example customers paying late or growing inventory.
Learn more →Cash from operations growth
The change in cash from operations compared with the same period a year earlier. Cash flow growing in step with net income is a sign of good earnings quality.
Learn more →Cash paid for dividends
The cash the company actually paid out as dividends during the period. Compare it with free cash flow: dividends paid out of borrowed money cannot last.
Learn more →Cash ratio
Cash and short-term investments divided by current liabilities: can the company pay its short-term bills with cash alone? The strictest of the liquidity ratios. Below 1 is common and not a problem in itself.
Learn more →Change in deferred tax
The difference between the tax expense booked in the income statement and the tax actually paid in cash. A positive figure means less tax was paid in cash than was booked as an expense, which raises cash from operations.
Learn more →Commission (brokerage fee)
The fee a broker charges for each trade. Commission is charged on each purchase and sale, often with a minimum amount. For small, frequent purchases, minimum fees can eat a large part of the return.
Learn more →Common stock (par value)
The nominal (par) value of the shares the company has issued. Usually a small, technical amount; the money investors paid above it is shown as additional paid-in capital.
Learn more →Compounding
Earning returns on earlier returns, so growth speeds up over time. Reinvesting dividends and gains lets returns build on earlier returns. The effect is small at first and very large over decades.
Learn more →Cost of goods sold
The direct cost of making or buying what the company sold. The cost of goods sold is subtracted from revenue to get gross profit. It includes materials, production and the direct cost of services.
Learn more →Country
The country where the company is registered or mainly listed. The country affects which laws, currency and economy the company is most exposed to, and which taxes apply to its dividends.
Learn more →Current assets
Assets expected to turn into cash within a year, such as cash, receivables and inventory. Current assets are compared with current liabilities (the current ratio) to check whether short-term bills can be paid.
Learn more →Current portion of long-term debt
The part of the long-term loans and bonds that falls due within the next year. A large amount due soon must be repaid or refinanced, which can be costly when interest rates are high.
Learn more →Current ratio
Current assets divided by current liabilities. Below 1 means short-term bills exceed short-term assets. A current ratio between about 1 and 2 is common. Below 1 the company may need new money to pay its short-term bills; very high values can mean idle cash or inventory.
Learn more →D
Daily change
How much the share price has moved so far today, shown as a percentage of the previous close. Daily moves are mostly noise for a long-term investor. A large move usually follows news - results, a takeover bid or a change in outlook - so check the news before reading anything into it.
Learn more →Days inventory outstanding (DIO)
How many days, on average, goods stay in inventory before they are sold. Fewer days is usually better. A rising number can mean products are harder to sell.
Learn more →Days payable outstanding (DPO)
How many days, on average, the company takes to pay its suppliers. More days means the company keeps its cash longer, but stretching suppliers too far can harm the relationship.
Learn more →Days sales outstanding (DSO)
How many days, on average, customers take to pay. A rising DSO means cash comes in more slowly.
Learn more →Debt to assets
Total debt as a share of total assets. A high share means creditors finance much of the company. What is normal depends on the industry: banks and utilities carry more debt.
Learn more →Debt to equity
Total debt divided by shareholders' equity: how much the company is financed by borrowing. A debt-to-equity ratio of 1 means the company borrows as much as its owners have put in. Banks, utilities and property companies normally carry much more debt than technology companies.
Learn more →Deferred revenue (current)
Money customers have paid in advance for goods or services the company will deliver within a year. It is a liability until delivered. Growing deferred revenue is often a good sign for subscription businesses.
Learn more →Deferred revenue (non-current)
Advance payments for goods or services the company will deliver more than a year from now. Like current deferred revenue, it is cash already received for work still to be done - common for multi-year contracts.
Learn more →Depreciation and amortisation
The yearly cost of wearing out buildings, machines and intangible assets, spread over their useful life. Not a cash cost. Depreciation spreads the cost of an asset over its useful life. It reduces profit but not cash, which is why cash flow and profit differ.
Learn more →Diversification
Spreading money across many investments so one bad result does not sink the whole portfolio. Owning 20 or more companies across different sectors, or a broad index fund, removes much of the risk tied to any single company.
Learn more →Dividend
A cash payment a company makes to its shareholders out of its profits, usually quarterly, half-yearly or yearly. Companies are not obliged to pay dividends and can cut them in bad years. Many growth companies pay none and reinvest instead.
Learn more →Dividend growth
How fast the dividend per share is increasing from year to year. Companies that raise their dividend year after year often have stable, growing profits. A dividend that grows faster than earnings for a long time is not sustainable.
Learn more →Dividend yield
The annual dividend per share as a percentage of the share price — the cash return from dividends at today's price. A yield far above similar companies often means the share price has fallen sharply or that a one-off special dividend was paid. Ticker Picker flags yields that look unusually high.
Learn more →Drawdown
How far an investment has fallen from its previous peak. The maximum drawdown shows the worst fall from a peak in a period. It helps you judge whether you could live with the swings.
Learn more →E
Earnings date
The date the company is expected to publish its next results. Share prices often move more than usual around the earnings date, because the results are compared with what investors expected.
Learn more →Earnings growth
How fast earnings per share are growing. Steady, positive EPS growth is generally a healthy sign. Earnings per share can grow faster than profit when a company buys back shares, and it can jump when last year's profit was unusually low. Look at several years rather than one.
Learn more →Earnings per share
The company's profit divided by its number of shares — the profit attributable to each share. Earnings per share lets you compare profit across companies of different sizes and is the 'E' in the P/E ratio. 'Diluted' EPS also counts shares that options and convertible bonds could add, so it is the more cautious number.
Learn more →Earnings yield
Earnings per share divided by the share price - the P/E turned upside down, shown as a percentage. An earnings yield of 5 % equals a P/E of 20. It is handy for comparing shares with bond yields and interest rates.
Learn more →EBITDA
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation — operating profitability with financing and accounting effects stripped out. EBITDA is popular because it makes companies with different debt, tax and investment levels easier to compare. But depreciation reflects real spending on equipment, so EBITDA flatters capital-heavy businesses; look at free cash flow too.
Learn more →EBITDA growth
The change in EBITDA compared with the same period a year earlier. EBITDA growth faster than revenue growth means margins are improving.
Learn more →Effective tax rate
Income tax as a share of pretax income: the tax rate the company actually pays. It can differ a lot from the statutory rate because of foreign profits, tax credits and one-off items.
Learn more →Emergency fund
Savings kept in cash for unexpected expenses, so you never have to sell investments at a bad time. A common rule is three to six months of expenses in a savings account, so a surprise bill never forces you to sell shares at a bad time.
Learn more →Enterprise value (EV)
Market value plus debt minus cash: roughly what it would cost to buy the whole business including its debt. Enterprise value is the price of the whole business, not just the shares. Two companies with the same market cap but different debt have different enterprise values.
Learn more →Equity to assets
Shareholders' equity as a share of total assets. A higher share means the company is financed more by its owners and less by debt.
Learn more →ETF (exchange-traded fund)
A fund that trades on the stock exchange like a share, usually tracking an index. ETFs make it easy to own many companies with one purchase. Check the yearly fee and what index the fund follows.
Learn more →EV/EBIT
Enterprise value divided by operating profit (EBIT). EV/EBIT is similar to EV/EBITDA but subtracts depreciation, so it is fairer to capital-heavy companies.
Learn more →EV/EBITDA
Enterprise value divided by EBITDA. Compares companies with different amounts of debt more fairly than P/E. EV/EBITDA is widely used to compare companies within a sector and in takeovers. As with all ratios, compare it with similar companies and the company's own history.
Learn more →EV/FCF
Enterprise value divided by yearly free cash flow. It shows how many years of free cash flow it would take to pay for the whole business including its debt.
Learn more →EV/Sales
Enterprise value divided by yearly revenue. Like P/S, but including debt. Useful for young or loss-making companies; compare only within the same industry.
Learn more →Ex-dividend date
The first trading day on which a buyer of the share no longer gets the next dividend. To receive the next dividend you must own the share before this date. The share price usually falls by roughly the dividend amount on the ex-dividend date.
Learn more →Exchange rate
The price of one currency in another. It changes the value of foreign investments in your own currency. If the foreign currency weakens against your own, your foreign shares are worth less to you even if their price is unchanged - and the opposite when it strengthens.
Learn more →Expense ratio (fund fee)
The yearly fee a fund charges, as a percentage of what you have invested. A fee of 1 % a year sounds small, but over 30 years it can take a large part of the return. Index funds often charge 0.1-0.3 %.
Learn more →F
Factuality rating
How much of a news article is checkable fact rather than opinion, from very low to very high. Articles with high factuality report checkable facts, such as reported results; low factuality means mostly opinion, speculation or promotion.
Learn more →Foreign exchange effects
The change in the value of cash held in foreign currencies caused by exchange rate moves. Companies with large foreign operations show the biggest effects. It is an accounting effect, not cash earned or spent.
Learn more →Free cash flow (FCF)
Cash from operations minus capital expenditures: the cash left to pay dividends, buy back shares or repay debt. Free cash flow is often seen as the most honest measure of what a business earns for its owners. Persistent negative free cash flow means the company depends on new loans or new shares.
Learn more →Free cash flow growth
The change in free cash flow compared with the same period a year earlier. It can swing a lot from year to year because investments are lumpy, so look at the trend over several years.
Learn more →Free cash flow margin
Free cash flow as a percentage of revenue. A high and stable free cash flow margin means the company converts a large share of its sales into cash it can freely use.
Learn more →Free cash flow yield
Free cash flow per share divided by the share price, as a percentage. A high free cash flow yield means the company produces a lot of cash relative to its price - cash that can pay dividends, buy back shares or repay debt.
Learn more →G
GDP (gross domestic product)
The total value of goods and services an economy produces in a year. GDP growth affects company sales and profits. Share markets often move before GDP figures change, because investors look ahead.
Learn more →Goodwill
The part of an acquisition price above the value of the assets bought. It can be written down if the deal disappoints. Goodwill is not something you can sell; it reflects the extra price paid for an acquisition. Large write-downs of goodwill show that past acquisitions did not deliver.
Learn more →Gross margin
Gross profit as a percentage of revenue: how much of each sale is left after the direct costs. Software and brand companies often have gross margins above 60 %; retailers and manufacturers much lower. A rising gross margin often signals pricing power.
Learn more →Gross profit
Revenue minus the direct cost of the goods or services sold — what is left to cover everything else. Gross profit shows how much each sale contributes before overheads such as salaries, marketing and research. A rising gross profit with stable margins usually means the core product sells well.
Learn more →Gross profit growth
How fast gross profit is growing from one period to the next. If gross profit grows faster than revenue, margins are improving; if it grows slower, costs are rising faster than prices.
Learn more →I
Income tax
The tax charged on the period's profit. The amount in the income statement is the tax expense for the period; the cash actually paid can differ because of deferred taxes.
Learn more →Index fund
A low-cost fund that tracks a market index, such as the S&P 500, instead of picking shares. Index funds aim to match the market rather than beat it, which keeps costs low. Over long periods most actively managed funds have not beaten them after fees.
Learn more →Inflation
The general rise in prices, which reduces what your money can buy. With 3 % inflation, money loses about a quarter of its buying power in ten years. Shares of companies that can raise prices have historically protected against inflation over long periods.
Learn more →Intangible assets
Non-physical assets such as patents, brands, licences and customer lists, mostly from acquisitions. Goodwill is shown separately. Intangibles are amortised over their useful life and can be written down.
Learn more →Interest coverage
Operating profit divided by interest costs: how many times the profit covers the interest. An interest coverage of 5 means operating profit is five times the interest bill. Below about 2 the company has little room if profits fall.
Learn more →Interest expense
Interest the company pays on its loans and bonds during the period. High interest expense compared with operating income leaves little room for error. Interest coverage shows how many times operating income covers it.
Learn more →Interest income
Interest the company earns on its cash, deposits and loans it has made. For most companies interest income is small. For banks it is the main source of revenue.
Learn more →Interest rate
The price of borrowing money. Central banks set the short-term rate; markets set longer-term rates. Higher rates make borrowing more expensive and safe savings more attractive, which tends to push share prices down - especially for fast-growing companies.
Learn more →Intrinsic value
An estimate of what a business is really worth, based on the cash it is expected to produce - not on today's price. Different methods (discounted cash flow, multiples, asset value) give different estimates, and all depend on assumptions. Investors often require a margin of safety before buying.
Learn more →Inventories
Goods, materials and products in progress that the company holds to sell. Inventory that grows faster than sales can mean products are hard to sell and may have to be written down.
Learn more →Inventory turnover
Cost of goods sold divided by inventory: how many times a year the inventory is sold and replaced. Higher is usually better: goods do not sit long on the shelf.
Learn more →L
Long-term debt
Loans and bonds that fall due more than a year from now. Debt is not bad in itself, but it must be repaid or refinanced. Compare it with earnings, for example with net debt to EBITDA.
Learn more →Long-term investments
Investments the company intends to hold for more than a year, such as stakes in other companies or long bonds. They are not part of the daily business, but they can be a hidden source of value (or risk) that the share price does not always reflect.
Learn more →M
Margin of safety
Buying only when the price is clearly below your estimate of value, to leave room for mistakes. If you estimate a share is worth 100 and buy it at 70, your margin of safety is 30 %. It protects against mistakes in the estimate.
Learn more →Market capitalisation
The total market value of a company's shares (share price multiplied by shares outstanding). A quick gauge of company size. Large companies (over about 10 billion) tend to be more established and less volatile; small companies can grow faster but carry more risk. Market cap measures the shares only - enterprise value also includes debt.
Learn more →Minority interest
The part of the equity in subsidiaries that belongs to outside owners. It appears when the company controls a subsidiary but owns less than all of it. The subsidiary is included in full, and this line shows the part owned by others.
Learn more →Minority interest expense
The share of the profit that belongs to outside owners of subsidiaries the company does not own 100 %. It is deducted to arrive at the profit that belongs to the company's own shareholders.
Learn more →Moving average
The average price over a recent period (for example 50 or 200 days), used to show the trend. When the price crosses its moving average, some traders read it as a change in trend. Moving averages describe the past; they do not predict the future.
Learn more →N
Net change in cash
How much the cash balance rose or fell during the period: operations + investing + financing + currency effects. A falling cash balance is not a problem in itself - it may go to buybacks, dividends or acquisitions - but it cannot fall for ever.
Learn more →Net debt
Total debt minus cash and short-term investments. Negative net debt means the company has more cash than debt. Net debt is a better measure of borrowing than total debt, because cash can repay part of the loans. Ticker Picker includes finance leases in the debt and short-term investments in the cash; other sites may leave both out, so their figure can differ. Companies with net cash have more room in a downturn.
Learn more →Net debt to EBITDA
Roughly how many years of EBITDA it would take to repay the net debt. A rough rule of thumb: below 2 is comfortable for most non-financial companies, above 3-4 deserves a closer look, especially if earnings are cyclical.
Learn more →Net income
The bottom-line profit that remains after all costs, interest and taxes. Net income is what the 'P/E' and 'EPS' figures are built on. It can be distorted by one-off gains or costs, such as selling a business or writing down an acquisition.
Learn more →Net income growth
The change in net income compared with the same period a year earlier. One-off gains or costs can make it swing a lot. Compare it with operating income growth and cash flow growth.
Learn more →Net interest income
Interest income minus interest expense. For a bank this is the core profit: what it earns on loans minus what it pays on deposits and borrowing. For other companies it is usually negative (more interest paid than earned).
Learn more →Net issuance of common stock
Cash received from issuing new shares minus cash spent buying shares back. Negative = net buybacks. Companies that keep issuing new shares dilute existing owners; companies that buy back shares do the opposite.
Learn more →Net issuance of debt
New borrowing minus loans repaid during the period. Positive = the company borrowed more. Borrowing to invest can create value; borrowing to pay dividends or buybacks for years is a warning sign.
Learn more →Net issuance of preferred stock
Cash received from issuing preferred shares minus preferred shares bought back or redeemed. Most companies have none. Banks and utilities use preferred shares most.
Learn more →Net margin
Net income as a percentage of revenue: how much of each sale ends up as profit. Net margin is affected by taxes, interest and one-off items, so look at operating margin too. Margins differ a lot between industries.
Learn more →News cycle score
The day's news tone for a company or the market from -100 (very negative) to +100 (very positive), weighted by factuality and reach. The score describes the tone of the news, not the value of the company, and it is not a buy or sell signal. It is shown when the feature is switched on.
Learn more →O
Operating income
Profit from core operations after operating expenses, but before interest and tax. Operating income (often called EBIT) shows how profitable the main business is, before the effect of how it is financed and taxed.
Learn more →Operating income growth
The change in operating income compared with the same period a year earlier. Operating income growing faster than revenue shows operating leverage: costs grow slower than sales.
Learn more →Operating margin
Operating income as a percentage of revenue: what is left after running costs, before interest and tax. Operating margin shows how much of each sale is left after all running costs. Compare it with competitors: a higher margin often means a stronger business.
Learn more →Other current assets
Short-term assets that do not fit elsewhere, such as prepaid expenses. A large or fast-growing amount here is worth a look in the annual report, since the line can hide items that are hard to value.
Learn more →Other current liabilities
Short-term obligations that do not fit elsewhere. Usually a small line. If it is large, the annual report explains what it contains.
Learn more →Other equity
Equity items that do not fit elsewhere. Usually a small line. If it is large, the annual report explains what it contains.
Learn more →Other financing activities
Financing cash flows that do not fit elsewhere, such as fees for raising capital. Usually a small line. If it is large, the annual report explains what it contains.
Learn more →Other investing activities
Investing cash flows that do not fit elsewhere. Usually a small line. If it is large, the annual report explains what it contains.
Learn more →Other long-term assets
Long-term assets that do not fit elsewhere, such as deferred tax assets or long-term prepayments. Usually a small line. If it is large, the annual report explains what it contains.
Learn more →Other long-term liabilities
Long-term obligations that do not fit elsewhere, such as pensions or deferred taxes. Pension obligations can be large for older industrial companies and are worth checking in the annual report.
Learn more →Other non-operating income
Gains and losses outside the daily business, such as currency effects, investment results or the sale of assets. These items often swing a lot from year to year, so they say little about how the core business is doing.
Learn more →Other operating activities
Other non-cash items and adjustments between net income and cash from operations. If this line is large compared with net income, it is worth finding out what drives the difference between profit and cash.
Learn more →P
P/B (price to book)
Share price divided by book value (equity) per share. Most useful for banks and asset-heavy companies. A P/B below 1 means the market values the company at less than its accounting equity - sometimes a bargain, sometimes a sign of problems. It says little for companies whose value lies in brands, software or people.
Learn more →P/FCF (price to free cash flow)
Market value divided by yearly free cash flow - like P/E, but based on cash instead of accounting profit. Because it uses cash rather than accounting profit, P/FCF is harder to flatter. Free cash flow can swing a lot from year to year, so look at several years.
Learn more →P/S (price to sales)
Market value divided by yearly revenue. Used for companies without profits, but ignores how profitable the sales are. P/S works for companies without profits, but it ignores margins: a company with thin margins deserves a much lower P/S than one with wide margins.
Learn more →Payout ratio
The share of the company's profit that is paid out as dividends. Above 100 % means it pays out more than it earns. A payout ratio between about 30 % and 70 % often leaves room for both dividends and reinvestment. A ratio above 100 % means the dividend is paid from savings or new debt and is at risk if profits do not recover.
Learn more →PEG ratio
The P/E divided by expected yearly earnings growth in percent. Around 1 is often read as a P/E that matches the growth. The PEG ratio adds growth to the P/E: a high P/E can be reasonable if earnings grow fast. It depends heavily on the growth estimate used.
Learn more →Piotroski F-score
A 0-9 checklist of financial-health signals (profit, cash flow, debt, margins). 7-9 is strong, 0-3 weak. The Piotroski score gives one point for each of nine signs of improving financial health, such as positive cash flow, falling debt and rising margins.
Learn more →Preferred dividends
Dividends paid to holders of preferred shares, deducted before profit reaches common shareholders. Net income minus preferred dividends is net income to common shareholders, which is what earnings per share are based on.
Learn more →Preferred stock
Capital raised with preferred shares, which get their dividends before common shareholders. Preferred shares usually have a fixed dividend and no vote. They sit between debt and common shares in priority.
Learn more →Pretax income
The profit before income tax is deducted. Comparing pretax income between companies removes differences in tax rates between countries.
Learn more →Pretax income growth
The change in pretax income compared with the same period a year earlier. Unlike operating income it includes interest and other non-operating items, which can make it swing more.
Learn more →Pretax margin
Profit before tax as a percentage of revenue. Pretax margin includes interest costs, so heavily indebted companies look worse here than on operating margin.
Learn more →Price target
A reference estimate of the share's expected or fair value, useful to compare against the current price. Use it as a reference point, not a forecast: targets and estimates are based on models and assumptions that may be wrong.
Learn more →Price-to-earnings ratio
Share price divided by trailing earnings per share — roughly how much you pay for each unit of profit. Lower can look cheaper, but it is best compared within a sector. A P/E only works for profitable companies. One-off gains or costs can make it look very low or very high for a year, so compare it with the company's own history and with similar companies.
Learn more →Property, plant and equipment (gross)
Physical assets at their original cost, before depreciation is deducted. Gross minus accumulated depreciation gives the net value. A large gap means old assets that may soon need replacing.
Learn more →Property, plant and equipment (net)
Buildings, machines, land and other physical assets, after accumulated depreciation. Capital-heavy businesses such as manufacturers, utilities and telecoms carry large amounts; software companies very little.
Learn more →Property, plant and equipment growth
The change in net property, plant and equipment compared with a year earlier. Strong growth means the company is investing in new capacity, which should lead to higher revenue later.
Learn more →Public float
The shares available for ordinary trading, excluding those held by insiders and large locked-in owners. A small float can make a share move a lot on little trading, because few shares are available.
Learn more →Purchase / sale of investments
Cash spent on buying investments minus cash received from selling them. Companies with large cash piles often move money between cash and short-term investments, so this line can swing a lot without saying much about the business.
Learn more →Q
Quick ratio
Like the current ratio, but without inventory - a stricter test of short-term solvency. The quick ratio leaves out inventory because it can be hard to sell quickly. Below 1 means the company relies on selling inventory or new financing to pay short-term bills.
Learn more →R
Receivable turnover
Revenue divided by accounts receivable: how many times a year the company collects its customers' bills. A higher number means customers pay faster. Days sales outstanding (DSO) shows the same in days.
Learn more →Recession
A significant, broad decline in economic activity, often defined as two quarters in a row of falling GDP. Cyclical companies (industry, travel, luxury goods) usually suffer most in a recession; companies selling necessities are affected less.
Learn more →Relative strength index (RSI)
A 0-100 momentum indicator; above 70 is often called overbought, below 30 oversold. The RSI is a technical indicator based only on recent price moves. It says nothing about the business, and a share can stay 'overbought' for a long time.
Learn more →Repurchase of stock (buybacks)
Cash spent buying back the company's own shares. Buybacks return money to shareholders by reducing the number of shares, so each remaining share owns more of the company.
Learn more →Research and development (R&D)
Spending on developing new products and technology. Research and development is an investment in future products, recorded as a cost. Technology and pharmaceutical companies typically spend 10-25 % of revenue on it.
Learn more →Retained earnings
All the profit the company has kept over the years instead of paying it out as dividends. Large buybacks or past losses can make retained earnings low or even negative without the company being in trouble.
Learn more →Return on assets (ROA)
Net income divided by total assets: how much profit the company makes on everything it owns. Return on assets is useful for comparing banks and asset-heavy companies. Asset-light businesses (software, services) naturally show higher ROA.
Learn more →Return on capital employed (ROCE)
Operating profit divided by capital employed (total assets minus current liabilities). ROCE is similar to ROIC and is often used in Europe. Higher is better, and stable values over many years are a good sign.
Learn more →Return on equity (ROE)
Net income divided by shareholders' equity: the return on the owners' money. Debt can inflate it. A consistently high ROE can signal a strong business, but very high values often come from small or negative equity after big buybacks or losses - check debt and equity before trusting it.
Learn more →Return on invested capital (ROIC)
Operating profit after tax divided by all capital invested (equity and debt). Harder to flatter than ROE. ROIC compares profit with all money invested, both from owners and lenders. A company that earns more on its capital than that capital costs creates value as it grows.
Learn more →Revenue
The company's total sales (the top line) over the reporting period, before any costs are taken out. Revenue is the starting point of the income statement. Growing revenue is good, but only if the company can turn it into profit and cash.
Learn more →Revenue growth
How fast the company's sales are growing from one period to the next. Revenue growth is harder to flatter with accounting than profit growth. Check whether it comes from selling more, raising prices or buying other companies.
Learn more →Risk tolerance
How large swings in value you can accept - financially and emotionally - without selling in panic. Ask yourself how you would react if your shares fell 30 % in a year. If you would sell in panic, a calmer mix with more bonds and cash may suit you better.
Learn more →S
Session high
The highest price the share has traded at during the current session. Together with the session low it shows the day's trading range. A wide range means prices moved a lot during the day.
Learn more →Session low
The lowest price the share has traded at during the current session. Together with the session high it shows the day's trading range.
Learn more →SG&A
Selling, general and administrative expenses: salaries, marketing, offices and other overheads. SG&A covers the costs of running and selling, not making, the product. Compare it with revenue over time: costs that grow faster than sales squeeze margins.
Learn more →Shareholders' equity
Assets minus liabilities: the book value that belongs to the shareholders. Equity is the accounting value of the owners' part of the company. It can be negative after large losses or buybacks, which makes ratios like ROE and P/B misleading.
Learn more →Short interest
Shares that investors have borrowed and sold, betting on a fall. A high share of the float shorted signals scepticism. Short sellers profit if the price falls. A high short interest shows that many investors doubt the company - and can cause sharp rises if they have to buy back.
Learn more →Short-term debt
Loans and borrowing that must be repaid within a year. Some providers include the current portion of long-term debt here; Ticker Picker shows it on its own line.
Learn more →Short-term investments
Investments the company can turn into cash within a year, such as treasury bills and short bonds. Together with cash they show how much money the company could use quickly.
Learn more →Stance (bias) rating
Whether a news article leans for the company, against it, or is neutral. The rating is produced automatically by a language model reading each article. Read strongly one-sided articles with extra care.
Learn more →Stock screener
A tool that filters listed companies by the numbers you choose. A screener shows where to start looking, not what to buy. Read each company's numbers and story before deciding anything.
Learn more →Stock ticker symbol
The short symbol that identifies a company's shares on an exchange, such as AAPL for Apple. Click a ticker to open that company's full page. The same company can have different tickers on different exchanges, and some have several share classes (for example GOOG and GOOGL).
Learn more →Stock-based compensation
Pay to employees in shares or options. It is a real cost to shareholders even though no cash leaves the company. Stock-based pay dilutes existing shareholders. Some companies exclude it from 'adjusted' profit - but it is a real cost.
Learn more →T
Tax payable
Income tax the company owes but has not paid yet. It is part of the current liabilities and is normally paid within a few months.
Learn more →Time horizon
How long until you need the money. The longer it is, the more short-term swings you can ride out. Money you need within a few years should not be in shares, because their value can fall a lot in a short time. Over decades, short-term swings matter less.
Learn more →Total assets
Everything the company owns — cash, inventory, property and more — as of the latest quarter. Total assets equal what the company owes (liabilities) plus what belongs to the shareholders (equity). Comparing profit with total assets shows how efficiently the assets are used (return on assets).
Learn more →Total assets growth
The change in total assets compared with a year earlier. Assets growing much faster than revenue and earnings can mean the company is investing heavily - or buying growth with acquisitions.
Learn more →Total current liabilities
All obligations due within a year: suppliers, short-term debt, taxes, accrued costs and similar. Compared with current assets they show whether the company can pay its short-term bills (current ratio).
Learn more →Total debt
All interest-bearing borrowing, short- and long-term. Ticker Picker counts short-term debt, long-term debt and finance (capital) leases. Operating leases are not counted, as under US accounting rules; some sites add them, so their total debt can be higher. Debt is not bad in itself, but interest and repayments must be paid in bad years too - compare it with earnings or cash flow.
Learn more →Total equity growth
The change in shareholders' equity compared with a year earlier. Equity grows with profits kept and new shares, and shrinks with losses, dividends and buybacks.
Learn more →Total liabilities
Everything the company owes: debt, unpaid bills, taxes and other obligations. Liabilities include debt but also bills to suppliers, taxes and pension promises. Comparing them with assets shows how much of the company is financed by others.
Learn more →Total liabilities and equity
Everything the company owes plus the owners' equity. It always equals total assets. That equality is why it is called a balance sheet: every asset is financed by either debt or the owners.
Learn more →Total non-current assets
All assets the company expects to keep for more than a year: equipment, intangibles, goodwill and long-term investments. A high share of non-current assets means a capital-heavy business that must keep investing to stay competitive.
Learn more →Total non-current liabilities
All obligations due more than a year from now: long-term debt, leases, pensions and similar. Together with current liabilities they make up total liabilities.
Learn more →Total operating expenses
The running costs of the business apart from the cost of the goods sold: selling, administration, research and similar costs. Ticker Picker shows operating expenses WITHOUT cost of goods sold, so gross profit minus operating expenses is roughly operating income. Other sites sometimes include cost of sales, which makes the figure much larger.
Learn more →Trading volume
The number of shares traded during the session. Higher volume points to more active trading. Shares with high volume are easier to buy and sell at a fair price. Very low volume can mean a wide gap between buying and selling prices, which is a hidden cost.
Learn more →Trailing net income
The company's total profit over the last four quarters — a rolling one-year figure. Using the last four quarters gives an up-to-date yearly figure that does not wait for the annual report. A positive number means the company made a profit over the past year.
Learn more →Treasury stock
Shares the company has bought back and keeps instead of cancelling them, shown as a deduction from equity. Shares held as treasury stock do not get dividends or votes and are left out of the shares outstanding.
Learn more →U
Unusual value flag
A marker on numbers far outside the normal range (for example a 60 % dividend yield). Often a one-off event or a data error - check before trusting it. The flag never changes the number. It marks values outside fixed limits (for example a dividend yield above 12 %) so you know to check the company's history before using them.
Learn more →V
Value estimate (Ticker Picker)
Ticker Picker's model-based estimate of a share's intrinsic value at a future date. A model, not a promise. The estimates use the company's own numbers and standard valuation methods. They are not a recommendation and can be far off when a company changes quickly.
Learn more →Volatility
How much and how fast a price moves up and down. Higher volatility means bigger swings in both directions. Volatility is usually measured as the standard deviation of returns. High volatility means you should be ready for large swings - and not need the money at a bad moment.
Learn more →W
Working capital
Current assets minus current liabilities: the cash tied up in running the business day to day. Growing companies often tie up more cash in inventory and unpaid customer bills. A sudden jump in working capital can explain why profit and cash flow differ.
Learn more →No term matches your search.