Financial Data Item Definitions

This page provides definitions for all of the data items used on the Company Profile, Financial Highlights, Peer Group and Industry Revenue Share reports. 

1-Day Price Change
Units: Percentage
This figure is calculated by taking the current price divided by the value of the item 1 day ago, and then subtracting 1. This total is then multiplied by 100.

1-Month Price Change
Units: Percentage
This figure is calculated by taking the current price divided by the value of the item 1 month ago, and then subtracting 1. This total is then multiplied by 100.

1-Year Change (%)
Units: Percentage
This figure is calculated by taking the current 12-month moving value minus the value of the item 1 year ago, and dividing by the absolute value of the item 1 year ago. This total is then multiplied by 100.
For specific definitions of 1-Year Change (%) items, follow the links below: 

Sales
EBITDA
Net Income
EPS from Ops
Dividends/Share

1-Year Return
Units: Percentage
1-Year Return is an annualized rate of return reflecting price appreciation plus reinvestment of monthly dividends and the compounding effect of dividends paid on reinvested dividends.

12-Month Average Dividend Yield
Units: Percentage
This item represents the 12-month moving average Dividends per Share divided by Last Price. The result is then multiplied by 100.

12-Month Average Price/Earnings
Units: Decimal
The 12-Month Average Price to Earnings ratio is calculated by taking the average of the month-end close price over the last 12-month period, divided by the appropriate 12-month moving Earnings per Share. If the most recent 12-month moving Earnings per Share figure is not available, the previous value will be used.

3-Year Return
Units: Percentage
This item represents an annualized rate of return reflecting price appreciation plus reinvestment of monthly dividends and the compounding effect of dividends paid on reinvested dividends.

5-Year Compound Growth Rates for Dividend/Share
Units: Percentage 
This item represents 12-month moving quarterly Dividends per Share. A Compound Growth Rate is an average growth that calculates the rate of movement between the first observation and the last observation and then compounds this rate over five years. Any observation between these two points is not taken into consideration. To calculate, the first and last observations must be positive. 

5-Year Compound Growth Rates for EPS
Units: Percentage 
This item represents 12-month moving Earnings per Share Basic from Operations. A Compound Growth Rate is an average growth that calculates the rate of movement between the first observation and the last observation and then compounds this rate over five years. Any observation between these two points is not taken into consideration. To calculate, the first and last observations must be positive. 

5-Year Compound Growth Rates for Sales
Units: Percentage 
This item represents 12-month moving quarterly Sales. A Compound Growth Rate is an average growth that calculates the rate of movement between the first observation and the last observation and then compounds this rate over five years. Any observation between these two points is not taken into consideration. To calculate, the first and last observations must be positive. 

5-Year Return
Units: Percentage
This item represents an annualized rate of return reflecting price appreciation plus reinvestment of monthly dividends and the compounding effect of dividends paid on reinvested dividends.

52-Week High Price
Units: Dollars and cents
The highest price within the last 52 trading weeks.

52-Week Low Price
Units: Dollars and cents
The lowest price within the last 52 trading weeks.

Address
This item represents the current (latest available) street address or post office box of a company's corporate headquarters or home office. The address includes the city, state and ZIP code. 

Auditor, Primary
This item indicates the auditing firms that audited the financial statements of a company. 
This item is not available for banks. 

Auditor's Opinion
This item indicates whether the auditor's opinion is qualified or unqualified. This item is not available for banks. 
This item can have the following values: 

UnauditedFinancial statements have not been audited.
UnqualifiedFinancial statements reflect no unresolvable restrictions and auditor has no significant exceptions as to the accounting principles, the consistency of their application and the adequacy of information disclosed.
QualifiedFinancial statements reflect the effects of some limitation on the scope of the examination or some unsatisfactory presentation of financial information, but are otherwise presented fairly. Standard and Poor's assigns this code when a company is in the process of liquidating (even if opinion is not actually qualified) or when an opinion states that the financial statements do not present fairly the financial position of the company.
No OpinionAuditor refuses to express an opinion regarding the company's ability to sustain operations as a going concern.
Unqualified w/ Additional LanguageAuditor has expressed an unqualified opinion regarding the financial statements but has added explanatory language to the auditor's standard report.
Adverse OpinionAuditor has expressed an adverse opinion regarding the financial statements of the company.

Business Description
This item is a textual description of a company’s business operations.

Cash Flow/Share
Units: Ratio
This item is 12-month moving Cash Flow divided by Common Shares Outstanding. Cash Flow is defined as Income Before Extraordinary Items (which represents the income of a company after all expenses except provisions for common and/or preferred dividends), plus Depreciation and Amortization (which is the non-cash charges for obsolescence of and wear and tear on property).

Common Shareholders
Common Shareholders represents the actual number of shareholders of common stock as reported by the company. This item excludes preferred shareholders. If a company reports more than one class of common stock and gives the number of shareholders by class, Standard & Poor's will add the figures and present the total. 

Common Shares Outstanding
Units: Millions
This item represents the net number of all common shares outstanding at the end of the quarter, excluding treasury shares and scrip. Common treasury shares carried on the asset side of the balance sheet are netted against the number of common shares issued. Common Shares paid in stock dividends are included when the ex-dividend date falls within the year and the payment date the next year. Common Shares Outstanding will not be the same as Common Shares for Primary Earnings per Share when the company reports earnings per share based on average shares, when there has been a change in the shares over the quarter, when more than one class of common stock is outstanding, or when the company reports earnings per share based on common stock equivalents. Common shares will be excluded when a company nets shares held by a consolidated subsidiary against the capital account. 

Country of Incorporation
The country in which a company is chartered to operate. The countries correspond to the country codes of the International Standards Organization (ISO). 

Current Dividend Yield
Units: Percentage
This item represents the 12-month moving Dividends per Share divided by the Close Price. This figure is then multiplied by 100.

Current Fiscal Year
This code designates the month-end for each company's accounting year. Fiscal years ending January 1 through May 31 are treated as ending in the prior calendar year. Thus, the data for a fiscal year beginning on June 1, 1999, and ending on May 31, 2000, would be reported as the year 1999, whereas a fiscal year beginning on July 1, 1999, and ending on June 30, 2000, would be reported as the year 2000. 

Current P/E from Ops
Units: Decimal
Current Price to Earnings from Ops is the Close Price divided by 12-month moving Earnings per Share from the Operations.

Current Period, Quarter (Current Quarter Ended)
This concept returns a quarterly time period which can be used as a quarterly time period reference. If the current quarter is on a preliminary basis, the time period for the prior quarter is returned. If not, the time period for the current quarter is returned.

Current Period, Year (Current Year Ended)
This item indicates the latest fiscal month & year for which data is available. The current period will differ among companies, depending on the most current data available for each. 

Current Price/Close Price
Units: Dollars and cents 
These items represent either the high, low and close prices of the day, or the ask, bid or average of ask/bid prices. If the high price is asking price, it is generally the last asking price by prospective sellers prior to market close. If the low price is bid price, it is generally the last bid by prospective buyers prior to market close. If the close price is the average price, it is the average of the bid and ask prices.

CUSIP Number
This item is a unique nine-digit identifier for each company on COMPUSTAT©; the first six digits identify the issuer, the seventh and eighth digits identify the issue, and the ninth digit is the check digit. (For further information, contact the CUSIP Service Bureau, 25 Broadway, New York, NY 10004) 

Debt to Equity
Units: Percentage 
This item is Debt - Total Quarterly divided by Stockholders' Equity/Common Equity - Total Quarterly.

Dividends/Share
Units: Dollars and cents 
This item is 12-month moving quarterly (the sum of the four most recently available quarters).

This item represents the cash dividends per share for which the ex-dividend dates occurred during the reporting period, adjusted for all stock splits and stock dividends that occurred during the period. This item, unlike Common Dividends, excludes payments in preferred stock in lieu of cash, spin-offs, and stock of other corporations. 

The ex-dividend date of the cash dividend is, in all cases, used to determine the reporting period in which the dividend is included. In cases where dividends are normally paid quarterly, but the ex-dividend dates of two dividend payments fall in the same quarter, both dividends will be included in that quarter. 

Any extra dividend whose ex-dividend date occurred during the period will be included in this item. 

Common Dividends is the sum of all classes outstanding when there is more than one class of common stock outstanding, but dividends per share is the major class outstanding. 

The dividends are adjusted by the Adjustment Factor - Cumulative by Ex-Date that appears for that year or quarter. This data item is updated the week after the fiscal yearend. The dividends per share for companies having more than one class of common stock outstanding will be based on the stock class which is most widely traded (based on volume of shares traded). The current sources for this data item are FT Interactive Data and Standard & Poor's Dividend Record. 

Dividends will always be zero until a company goes public. This item is gross of tax. 

Dividend Yield
Units: Percentage
This concept is the 12-month moving Dividend Rate divided by the Current Price multiplied by 100.

EBITDA
Units: Millions of dollars 
This item is 12-month moving quarterly (the sum of the four most recently available quarters).
This item represents Net Sales less Cost of Goods Sold and Selling, General and Administrative Expense before deducting Depreciation, Depletion, Amortization, interest expense and taxes. 

EBITDA Margin
Units: Percentage
This concept is 12-month moving Earnings Before Interest and Taxes and Depreciation (which is defined as Net Sales less Cost of Goods Sold and Selling, General, and Administrative Expense before deducting Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization) divided by 12-month moving Net Sales. This total is then multiplied by 100.

Employees
This item represents the actual number of company workers as reported to shareholders. This number is reported either as an average number of employees or the number of employees at year-end. No attempt has been made to differentiate between these bases of reporting. If both are given, the year-end figure is used. For banks, this item always represents the number of year-end employees. This item is not available for property and casualty companies. 

This item includes:
  1. All part-time and seasonal employees 
  2. All employees of consolidated subsidiaries, both domestic and foreign 

This item excludes:
  1. Contract workers 
  2. Consultants 
  3. Employees of unconsolidated subsidiaries 

EPS from Operations
Units: Dollars 
This item is 12-month moving quarterly (the sum of the four most recently available quarters).
This item represents Earnings per Share Basic adjusted to remove the effect of all Special Items from the calculation. This item reflects an Earnings per Share that excludes the effect of all nonrecurring events. 

This item excludes:
  1. Cumulative effect of accounting change 
  2. Discontinued operations 
  3. Extraordinary items 
  4. Special items 

Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS)
The Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) is an eight-digit system of classification under which a company may be identified according to its business activity. GICS is a collaboration between Standard & Poor’s and Morgan Stanley Capital International. The eight digits can be broken down according to a hierarchy of economic sectors, industry groups, industries and sub-industries: All Economic Sectors are represented by the leftmost 2 digits; Industry Groups are represented by the combination of the leftmost 4 digits; Industries are represented by the combination of the leftmost 6 digits; and Sub-Industries are represented by the combination of the leftmost 8 digits. Note: GICS for inactive companies have not been reviewed or approved by Morgan Stanley Capital International; they were assigned by Standard & Poor’s.

High Price
Units: Dollars and cents
These items represent either the high, low and close prices of the day, or the ask, bid or average of ask/bid prices. If the high price is asking price, it is generally the last asking price by prospective sellers prior to market close. If the low price is bid price, it is generally the last bid by prospective buyers prior to market close.

Index Constituent
The Standard & Poor's index to which a company belongs. All companies in the S&P Industrial, Utilities, Transportation, Financial and S&P 500 Supplementary Indexes have S&P Industry Index Codes.

Industry Averages
This figure is a weighted average for the constituents of the S&P 1500 Composite index that are members of the chosen company's industry group. The weighting is based upon relative strength (market capitalization in relation to market capitalization of the index). 

Industry Dividend Yield
Units: Percentage
This figure represents the month-end dividend rate divided by the last month’s closing price. This figure is then multiplied by 100. This figure is based on the S&P 500 companies within the same S&P industry index group.

Industry P/E
Units: Decimal
This item represents the weighted average Earnings per Share Basic applicable to the last 12-month period among S&P 500 companies in the same S&P industry index group. This item represents Earnings per Share Basic adjusted to remove the effect of all special items from the calculation, and excludes the effect of all nonrecurring events.

Industry Sector
This code is used to identify all companies in any of the specific Standard & Poor's industry groups.

Interest Coverage
Units: Decimal 
Interest Coverage Before Tax is defined as Pretax Income (which is operating and non-operating income before provisions for income taxes and minority interest), plus Interest Expense (which is the periodic expense to the company of securing short- and long-term debt), divided by Interest Expense.

Issue Description
Issue Description identifies a trading issue and its par value.

Issue Exchange
Issue Exchange identifies the name of the major exchange on which the company's common stock is traded.

Low Price
Units: Dollars and cents
These items represent either the high, low and close prices of the day, or the ask, bid or average of ask/bid prices. If the high price is asking price, it is generally the last asking price by prospective sellers prior to market close. If the low price is bid price, it is generally the last bid by prospective buyers prior to market close. If the close price is the average price, it is the average of the bid and ask prices.

Market Capitalization/Market Value
Units: Millions of dollars
Market Value is the Current Price multiplied by the Common Shares Outstanding for the current quarter. (If the Current Price is not available, the Price-Close Monthly will be used. If Common Shares Outstanding for the current quarter is not available, the value for the previous quarter will be used.) 

Net Income
Units: Millions of dollars
This 12-month moving quarterly item (the sum of the four most recently available quarters) represents the income or loss reported by a company after expenses and losses have been subtracted from all revenues and gains for the fiscal period including extraordinary items and discontinued operations. For banks, this item includes securities gains and losses. 

Net Profit Margin
Units: Percentage 
Net Profit Margin is Income before Extraordinary Items, which represents income of a company after all expenses, but before provisions for common and/or preferred dividends, divided by Net Sales. This figure is then multiplied by 100. 

Officer Name
This item represents the first two initials and the last name(s) of the officer(s) for a company. The maximum number of characters available in this item field is 39. 

Officer Title
This item represents the officer title(s) for a company. There are up to four officer titles available per company. The maximum number of characters available in this item field is 39.

Operating Profit Margin
Units: Percentage 
Operating Margin After Depreciation is Operating Income Before Depreciation minus Depreciation, Depletion, and Amortization divided by Net Sales. This figure is then multiplied by 100. 

Phone
This item represents the area code and phone number for a company. The maximum number of characters available in this item field is 14.

Price/Book
Units: Percentage 
Price to Book is Common Shares Outstanding for the current quarter divided by the Common Equity - As Reported for the current quarter multiplied by the Current Price.

Price/Cash Flow
Units: Percentage 
Price to Cash Flow is the Current Price divided by 12-month moving Cash Flow per Share - Quarterly. 

Price/EPS from Ops
Units: Percentage 
Price to EPS from Operations is the Current Price divided by 12-month moving Earnings per Share from Operations. If 12-month moving Earnings per Share from Operations for the current quarter is not available, the value for the previous quarter will be used. 

Price/Sales
Units: Percentage 
Price to Sale is the Current Price divided by 12-month moving Net Sales and divided by Common Shares Outstanding - Quarterly. If 12-month moving Net Sales and Common Shares Outstanding for the current quarter are not available, the values for the previous quarter will be used.) 

Return on Assets
Units: Percentage
Return on Assets is 12-month moving Income Before Extraordinary Items - Available for Common, divided by Quarterly Total Assets, which is defined as the sum of current assets, net property, plant, and equipment, and other noncurrent assets. This figure is then multiplied by 100. 

Return on Equity
Units: Percentage
Return on Equity is 12-month moving Income Before Extraordinary Items - Available for Common, which is defined as income before extraordinary items and discontinued operations less preferred dividend requirements, but before adding savings due to common stock equivalents, divided by Common Equity as Reported, which is defined as the common shareholders' interest in the company. This figure is then multiplied by 100. 

Revenue Share
Units: Percentage
Revenue Share is the percentage that the company's sales contribute to the composite sales for the entire S&P industry group. 

Sales
Units: Millions of dollars 
This item is 12-month moving quarterly (the sum of the four most recently available quarters).
This item represents gross sales (the amount of actual billings to customers for regular sales completed during the period) reduced by cash discounts, trade discounts and returned sales and allowances for which credit is given to customers. 

This item includes:
  1. Any revenue source that is expected to continue for the life of the company 
  2. Other operating revenue
  3. Installment sales
  4. Franchise sales (when corresponding expenses are available)

Special cases (by industry) include:
  1. Royalty income when considered operating income (such as, oil companies,
      extractive industries, publishing companies, etc.)
  2. Retail companies' sales of leased departments when corresponding costs are
      available and included in expenses (if costs are not available, the net figure
      is included in Nonoperating Income [Expense])
  3. Shipping companies' operating differential subsidies and income on reserve fund
      securities when shown separately
  4. Finance companies' earned insurance premiums and interest income for finance
      companies; the sales are counted only after net losses on factored receivables
      purchased
  5. Airline companies, net mutual aid assistance and federal subsidies
  6. Cigar, cigarette, oil, rubber and liquor companies' net sales after deducting
      excise taxes
  7. Income derived from equipment rental, which is considered part of operating
      revenue
  8. Utilities' net sales, which are total current operating revenue
  9. For banks, this item includes total current operating revenue and net pretax
      profit or loss on securities sold or redeemed less non-recurring income
10. Life insurance and property and casualty companies' net sales are total
      income
11. Advertising companies' net sales are commissions earned, not gross billings
12. Franchise operations' franchise and license fees
13. Leasing companies' rental or leased income
14. Hospitals' sales net of provision for contractual allowances (will
      sometimes include doubtful accounts)
15. Security brokers' other income

This item excludes:
  1. Nonoperating income
  2. Interest income (included in Nonoperating Income [Expense])
  3. Equity in earnings of unconsolidated subsidiaries (included in Nonoperating
      Income [Expense])
  4. Other income (included in Nonoperating Income [Expense])
  5. Rental income (included in Nonoperating Income [Expense])
  6. Gain on sale of securities or fixed assets (included in Special Items)
  7. Discontinued operations (included in Special Items)
  8. Excise taxes (excluded from sales and also deducted from Cost of Goods Sold)
  9. Royalty income (included in Nonoperating Income [Expense])

S&P 500 Dividend Yield
Units: Percentage
This item represents the month-end dividend rate divided by the previous day’s closing price for the S&P 500 Index. This figure is then multiplied by 100.

S&P 500 Price/Earnings
Units: Decimal
This item represents the weighted average Earnings per Share Basic applicable to the last 12-month period for the S&P 500 Index. This item represents basic earnings per share adjusted to remove the effect of all special items from the calculation, as well as exclude the effect of all nonrecurring events.

S&P Issuer Credit Rating
The Standard & Poor's Domestic Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (ICR) is a current opinion of an issuer's overall creditworthiness, apart from its ability to repay individual obligations. This opinion focuses on the obligor's capacity and willingness to meet its long-term financial commitments (those with maturities of more than one year) as they come due. This item represents the current rating assigned to the company by Standard & Poor's.  In the case of non-U.S. companies, the ICR is based on the local currency from the country of origin. Local currency credit ratings incorporate the critical consideration of country risks. 

Long-term ICR's range from AAA (extremely strong capacity to meet financial obligations) to CC (highly vulnerable).  See Code Rating Descriptions below for the codes and descriptions for each rating.  The ICR is not a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold a financial obligation issued by an obligor, as it does not comment on market price or suitability for a particular investor.  An ICR is withdrawn upon the first occurrence of any of the following: 

  1. Payment default on any financial obligation, rated or unrated, other than a financial obligation subject to legitimate commercial dispute 
  2. Voluntary bankruptcy filing or similar action 
  3. Seizure of the bank by a regulator if the issuer is a bank 
  4. Placement under regulatory supervision because of its financial status if the issuer is an insurance company 

Prior to September 1, 1998:
S&P Senior Debt Rating - Current 
This item represents the issuer senior debt rating that has been assigned to a company by Standard & Poor's. A Standard & Poor's corporate debt rating is a current assessment of the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a senior or subordinated debt obligation.  This assessment may take into consideration obligors such as guarantors, insurers or lessees. Senior debt represents long-term debt issues that are not subordinate to any other long-term debt issues.

Standard & Poor's defines "current" as the close of business on the day prior to the weekly production date and two days prior to the monthly production date.  A debt rating is not a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold a security inasmuch as it does not comment as to market price or suitability for a particular investor.  The ratings are based on current information furnished to Standard & Poor's from the issuer or other sources that it considers reliable. Standard & Poor's does not perform an audit in connection with any rating and may, on occasion, rely on unaudited financial information. The ratings may be changed, suspended or withdrawn as a result of changes in, or unavailability of, such information, or based on other circumstances. 

Standard & Poor's bases the ratings, in varying degrees, on the following considerations:

  1. Likelihood of default (the capacity and willingness of the obligor as to the timely payment of interest and repayment of principal in accordance with the terms of the obligation).
  2. Nature of and provisions of the obligation. 
  3. Protection afforded by, and relative position of, the obligation in the event of bankruptcy, reorganization or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors' rights. 

Under present commercial bank regulations issued by the Comptroller of the Currency, bonds rated in the top four categories ("AAA," "AA," "A," and "BBB") are commonly known as investment grade ratings and generally are regarded as eligible for bank investment.  In addition, the laws of various states governing legal investments impose certain rating or other standards for obligations eligible for investment by savings banks, trust companies, insurance companies and fiduciaries.

Debt obligations of issuers outside of the United States and its territories are rated on the same basis as domestic corporate and municipal issues.  The ratings measure the creditworthiness of the obligor but do not take into account the currency exchange or related uncertainties. To provide more detailed indications of credit quality, Standard & Poor's may modify ratings from "AA" to "CCC" with the addition of a plus sign (+) or minus sign (-) to show relative standing within the major debt rating categories.  Standard & Poor's assigns the following codes to correspond with the actual debt rating categories: 

Code Rating Description

AAA: "AAA" indicates the highest rating assigned by Standard & Poor's. Capacity to pay interest and repay principal is extremely strong. 

AA+, AA, AA-: "AA" indicates a very strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal, and differs from the higher rated issues only in small degree. 

A+, A, A-: "A" indicates a strong capacity to pay interest and repay principal, although it is somewhat more susceptible to adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than debt in higher rated categories. 

BBB+, BBB, BBB-: "BBB" indicates an adequate capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Although it normally exhibits adequate protection parameters, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to pay interest and repay principal than debt in higher rated categories. 

BB+, BB, BB-: "BB" indicates less near-term vulnerability to default that other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial or economic conditions which could lead to inadequate capacity to meet timely interest and principal payments. S&P also uses the "BB" rating category for debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied "BBB-" rating. 

B+, B, B-: "B" indicates a greater vulnerability to default, but currently has the capacity to meet interest payments and principal repayments. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair capacity or willingness to pay interest and repay principal. S&P also uses the "B" rating category to debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied "BB" or "BB-" rating. 

CCC+, CCC, CCC-: "CCC" indicates a current identifiable vulnerability to default and is dependent upon favorable business, financial and economic conditions to meet timely payment of interest and repayment of principal. In the event of adverse business, financial or economic conditions, it is not likely to have the capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Standard & Poor's also assigns the "CCC" rating category to debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied "B" or "B-" rating. 

CC: "CC" typically applied to debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied "CCC" rating. 

C: "C" typically applied to debt subordinated to senior debt that is assigned an actual or implied "CCC-" rating. Standard & Poor's also uses the "C" rating to cover a situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed, but debt service payments are continued. 

CI: "CI" reserved for income bonds on which no interest is being paid. 

D: "D" indicates that payment is in default. Standard & Poor's uses the "D" rating category when interest payments or principal payments are not made on the date due, even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless we believe that such payments will be made during such grace periods. Standard & Poor's also uses the "D" rating upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition if debt service payments are jeopardized. 

Suspended: Standard & Poor's suspended the bond rating on a class of debt. 

State - Primary Location
This code conforms to the National Bureau of Standards' Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) codes. Under the FIPS classification system, a unique code is assigned to every state in the United States. Standard & Poor's uses this code to identify a company's primary location. 

State of Incorporation
The State Incorporation Code indicates the state in which a company is chartered to operate as a corporation. 

Stock Exchange
This code identifies the major exchange on which the company's common stock is traded. The exchanges are as follows: 

  1. New York Stock Exchange 
  2. American Stock Exchange 
  3. NASDAQ, including NMS 
  4. Regional Stock Exchange 
  5. LBO or Subsidiary 
  6. Toronto Exchange 
  7. Montreal Exchange 
  8. Canadian Venture Exchange 
  9. Not on Major Exchange (Canadian only) 
  10. NASD OTC Bulletin Board/Pink Sheet 

Standard Industrial Classifications (SIC)
The Primary SIC Code assigned to companies on the COMPUSTAT database conforms as nearly as possible to the Office of Management and Budget's Standard Industry Classification (SIC) Codes. SIC is a four-digit system of classification under which a concern may be identified according to its activity.

Individual companies are assigned a four-digit Primary SIC Code by analyzing the product line breakdown provided in each 10-K. Additional sources, such as stock reports and Annual Reports, are used when necessary. The product line accounting for the largest percent of sales will determine the Primary SIC Code. The assigned classification is reviewed each year when the company is updated. 

  1. Certain Primary SIC Codes for companies are determined in the following ways: 
    General codes such as 1000 (Metal Mining), 2000 (Food and Kindred Products), 2600 (Paper and Allied Products), 2700 (Printing, Publishing, and Allied), etc., have been assigned to companies involved in more than one aspect of an industry. For instance, a company in the 2600 (Paper and Allied Products) category might manufacture pulp, then paper, paperboard, and other paper products from the pulp. These general Primary SIC Codes agree with the numbers assigned in the SIC book. 
  2. In an effort to consolidate SIC groupings and eliminate industry classifications with only a small number of companies, Primary SIC Codes with two or three digits are used. For instance, 2072 (Fats and Oils) is a general category which encompasses five specific SIC categories: 2074, 2075, 2076, 2077, and 2079. Also, 7500 (Automotive Repair and Services), is a general category which covers four specific SIC categories: 7510, 7520, 7530, and 7540. 
  3. Four-digit classifications are used when warranted by a large number of companies and/or the need to be specific and differentiate between codes. For instance, the 2080 (Beverage) category is broken into three groups: 2082 Malt Beverages, 2085 Distilled, Rectified, Blended Beverages and 2086 Bottled-Canned Soft Drinks.
  4. Any four-digit classification ending in 99, such as 2099 (Food Preparations NEC), is used for companies that will not fit any specific classification in that area. For example, a company whose major industry is Spices and Seasonings would be classified as 2099 since there is no other 2000 SIC into which that company will fit. 
  5. Certain Primary SIC Codes are not found in the SIC book. Since pollution control is such a new industry, two specific Primary SIC Codes were chosen by Standard & Poor's to represent this industry: 3558 (Pollution Control Machinery) and 4950 (Sanitary Services). 
Ticker Symbol
Common stock ticker symbols for publicly traded companies on the New York and American Stock Exchanges and those traded over-the-counter are taken from the S&P Stock Guide. Over-the-counter ticker symbols, which are not in the S&P Stock Guide, are obtained from the NASDAQ system.

Volume
Units: Thousands
This item represents the number of shares traded for companies listed on national stock exchanges and over-the-counter companies in the NASDAQ system. This item includes the composite volume across all exchanges. When a company trades stock on more than one exchange, the shares traded are added together and the composite figure is presented. Standard & Poor’s does not make any additional adjustments to the data to account for American Depositary Receipts (ADR); however, it may be further adjusted for stock splits.

The shares traded will be reported even if only a partial period is available (such as, a company goes public in the middle of the year, quarter, or month).

When a company is not traded in a given period, the price figures and shares traded contain a Not Available data code.

For some companies, there will be gaps in the data series, or periods where price figures and shares traded are not available. Generally, these will be periods in which earnings per share and other fundamental data have been restated due to a major merger involving companies of similar size. Since the major merger fundamentally changes the nature of the company, the original price, shares traded, and dividend data are not comparable to the earnings per share and other fundamental data. Therefore, the price, dividend, and shares traded are removed.

Web Site
Company Web Site address. This item is the address for a company's home page on the Internet. For example, McGraw-Hill's web site address is http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.

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