Yahoo Finance: quick quotes, financials and history for listed firms
Free quote pages with key statistics, recent financial statements, historical prices, analyst data and holders. Longer histories and downloads need a paid plan.
The site: Yahoo Finance. Cost: Freemium. Useful for: finance and markets.
What it is
Yahoo Finance is a financial news and data site. Each company’s quote page has tabs including Summary, News, Chart, Statistics, Historical Data, Profile, Financials, Analysis, Options and Holders. The summary shows figures such as market cap, beta, P/E ratio, EPS, the next earnings date and the one-year target estimate.
The Financials tab shows the income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement, annually or quarterly; on the page checked, the free annual view covered four years plus the trailing twelve months. Yahoo also sells Finance Plus plans. On the pages checked, the download buttons for financials and historical data, and longer statement histories, led to paid plans.
Use it for
- Getting a fast snapshot of a listed company’s size and valuation
- Reading recent income statement, balance sheet and cash flow figures
- Checking historical prices, including the adjusted close
- Seeing analyst estimates and the main holders
It is quickest for a first look. For anything you will present or rely on, go back to the company’s own filings.
How to use it
- Search finance.yahoo.com for a company name or ticker.
- Read the Summary for market cap, P/E ratio, EPS and the next earnings date.
- Open Financials and switch between Annual and Quarterly to see recent statements.
- Open Historical Data to view prices, with an adjusted close that accounts for splits and dividends.
- Use Profile, Analysis and Holders for the business description, estimates and ownership.
Before relying on a feature, check whether it is free. Many links on the quote pages lead to Finance Plus.
Example
A student comparing two retailers can open each quote page, note market cap and P/E ratio from the Summary, then read the last four years of revenue and net income on the Financials tab. That is enough for a first comparison before turning to the annual reports.
Watch out for
- Downloads and long statement histories need a paid Finance Plus plan.
- Figures are standardised by data providers and may not match the company’s own presentation.
- The pages carry many links to premium features, so it is easy to mistake what is free.
It works well alongside Macrotrends, Investor relations pages and annual reports and Damodaran Online.
Checklist
Put it to work
Recap cards
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Sources and credits
