How to Calculate the Piotroski F-Score

Introduction to the Piotroski F-Score

The Piotroski F-Score is a relatively simple quantitative scoring system used to evaluate the financial strength of a company. Developed by accounting professor Joseph Piotroski in 2000, the F-Score aims to identify firms with strong financial positions – those with robust profitability, stable and healthy liquidity situations, rising operating efficiency, and minimal leverage on their balance sheets.

Piotroski designed this metric specifically for value investors seeking to separate the proverbial “winners” from “losers” among a pool of companies considered to be undervalued based on traditional value metrics like low price-to-book ratios. The idea is that companies scoring highly on the F-Score are more likely to be hidden gems experiencing genuine financial strength and thus good candidates for future stock price appreciation.

The F-Score is calculated based on nine criteria taken from a company’s financial statements – mostly relating to profitability, leverage, operating efficiency, and recent performance changes. Each criterion scored a 1 or 0 depending on whether that metric meets certain benchmarks. The final F-Score is simply the sum of these binary scores, ranging from 0 to 9, with 9 being the best possible score.

Companies with high F-Scores (typically 8 or 9) are considered to have very healthy financial situations and solid prospects, while those with lower scores may be undergoing financial distress or deterioration and thus less attractive investments from a fundamental standpoint.

The 9 Components of the Piotroski F-Score

Here are the nine criteria that make up the Piotroski F-Score, along with details on how each component is scored:

1. Profitability Score 1 if Operating Cash Flow is positive, else 0 Rationale: Positive operating cash flow indicates a company can internally fund its operations and growth.
2. Leverage, Liquidity Score 1 if the company does not have any long-term debt, else 0 Rationale: No long-term debt is preferable as it implies lower leverage and interest costs.
3. Operating Efficiency Score 1 if the current year’s Operating Cash Flow is greater than the prior year’s, else 0 Rationale: Rising operating cash flows suggest improvements in operating efficiency over time.
4. Profitability Score 1 if the company had positive Net Income in the current year, else 0 Rationale: Consistent profitability is a signal of fundamental strength.
5. Leverage, Liquidity Score 1 if the company’s ratio of Long-Term Debt to Average Assets has decreased in the current year, else 0 Rationale: Declining debt levels relative to assets implies lower leverage risk.
6. Operating Efficiency Score 1 if the current year’s Gross Margin is higher than the prior year’s, else 0 Rationale: Rising gross margins indicate improvements in pricing power and cost controls.
7. Turn Around
   Score 1 if the current year’s Asset Turnover ratio exceeds the prior year’s ratio, else 0 Asset Turnover = Total Revenue / Total Assets Rationale: Higher asset turnover implies greater productivity from the asset base.
8. Turn Around Score 1 if Return on Assets (ROA) is currently positive after being negative last year, else 0 ROA = Net Income / Total Assets
   Rationale: Shift from negative to positive ROA suggests a turnaround in profitability.
9. Leverage, Liquidity
   Score 1 if the current year’s Operating Cash Flow exceeds the prior year’s Net Income, else 0 Rationale: Generating more cash than accounting profit is a sign of high-quality earnings.

Once scored, the nine binary criteria are summed to produce the final Piotroski F-Score ranging from 0 (weakest) to 9 (strongest).

Calculating the F-Score Step-by-Step

To calculate a company’s Piotroski F-Score, you’ll need its most recent annual financial statements including the income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows. You’ll also need the prior year’s financial statements for certain comparative metrics.

Here is the step-by-step process for tabulating the F-Score:

1. Profitability Score Calculate Operating Cash Flow from the Cash Flow Statement If Operating Cash Flow is positive, score 1, else score 0
2. Leverage/Liquidity Score
   Check the Balance Sheet for any Long-Term Debt If the company has $0 in long-term debt, score 1, else score 0
3. Operating Efficiency Score Calculate this year’s and last year’s Operating Cash Flow If this year’s Operating Cash Flow exceeds last year’s, score 1, else 0
4. Profitability Score Check the Net Income on the Income Statement If Net Income is positive, score 1, else score 0
5. Leverage/Liquidity Score Calculate Long-Term Debt to Average Total Assets ratio for this year and last: Long-Term Debt / Average Total Assets = (Long-Term Debt) / ((Beginning Total Assets + Ending Total Assets)/2) If the ratio has decreased compared to last year, score 1, else 0
6. Operating Efficiency Score Calculate this year’s and last year’s Gross Margins: Gross Margin = (Revenue – Cost of Goods Sold) / Revenue If this year’s Gross Margin exceeds last year’s, score 1, else 0
7. Turnaround Score Calculate the Asset Turnover Ratio for this year and last: Asset Turnover = Total Revenue / Total Assets If this year’s ratio exceeds last year’s, score 1, else 0
8. Turnaround Score Calculate Return on Assets for this year and last: ROA = Net Income / Total Assets If ROA is positive this year but was negative last year, score 1 If ROA was positive both years or negative both years, score 0
9. Leverage/Liquidity Score If Operating Cash Flow exceeds Net Income, score 1, else 0

Sum all 9 binary scores to calculate the final Piotroski F-Score (ranging 0 to 9)

Example Piotroski F-Score Calculation

Here is an example calculation of a company’s Piotroski F-Score based on its financial statements:

Company XYZ Income Statement: Revenue: $1,200,000 Cost of Goods Sold: $700,000
Operating Expenses: $300,000 Net Income: $200,000

Balance Sheet: Cash: $100,000 Accounts Receivable: $80,000 Inventory: $120,000 Property, Plant & Equipment: $800,000 Total Assets: $1,100,000 Accounts Payable: $50,000 Long-Term Debt: $300,000 Total Liabilities: $350,000

Statement of Cash Flows: Cash from Operations: $350,000

Prior Year Numbers: Revenue: $1,000,000 Cost of Goods Sold: $650,000 Net Income: -$25,000 Total Assets: $900,000 Long-Term Debt: $400,000 Operating Cash Flow: $200,000

Calculating the F-Score:

1. Operating Cash Flow positive? $350,000 > 0, so score 1
2. No Long-Term Debt? The company has $300,000 in long-term debt, so scored 0
3. Higher Operating Cash Flow vs the prior year? $350,000 > $200,000, so score 1
4. Positive Net Income?
   Net Income of $200,000 is positive, so score 1
5. Lower Long-Term Debt to Assets ratio? Current: $300,000 / ($1,100,000 + $900,000)/2 = 0.16 Prior: $400,000 / $900,000 = 0.44 0.16 < 0.44, so score 1
6. Higher Gross Margin? Current Gross Margin = ($1,200,000 – $700,000) / $1,200,000 = 41.7% Prior Gross Margin = ($1,000,000 – $650,000) / $1,000,000 = 35.0% 41.7% > 35.0%, so score 1
7. Higher Asset Turnover?
   Current Asset Turnover = $1,200,000 / $1,100,000 = 1.09 Prior Asset Turnover = $1,000,000 / $900,000 = 1.11 1.09 < 1.11, so score 0
8. Positive ROA after being negative? Current ROA = $200,000 / $1,100,000 = 0.182 (positive) Prior ROA = -$25,000 / $900,000 = -0.028 (negative) ROA improved from negative to positive, so score 1
9. Higher Operating Cash Flow than Net Income? Operating Cash Flow = $350,000 Net Income = $200,000 $350,000 > $200,000, so score 1

Summing the nine binary scores: 1 + 0 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 0 + 1 + 1 = 7

Therefore, Company XYZ receives a Piotroski F-Score of 7 out of 9, indicating a relatively strong financial position overall.

Using the F-Score for Investment Analysis

So how can investors use the Piotroski F-Score in their analysis? The overall idea is to calculate the F-Score for companies considered to be potentially undervalued based on metrics like low price-to-book ratio. Those firms scoring 8 or 9 would be considered as having the highest quality financials and thus the best potential catalysts for share price appreciation going forward.

On the other hand, companies with lower F-Scores (say, below 5 or 6) may be being undervalued for legitimate reasons – excessive debt, declining margins, weak cash flows, etc. These could be riskier value traps to avoid.

The F-Score is not meant to be used as a complete analytical tool in isolation, but rather as a first step to narrow a list of value candidates down to those with the strongest underlying financial positions and vitality. From there, further qualitative and quantitative research should be conducted.

It’s worth noting that the F-Score’s criteria place the heaviest emphasis on profitability, cash flow generation, and lack of leverage – making it particularly relevant for more conservative, risk-averse value investors. More aggressive investors may wish to adjust the weightings or factors included to align with their own strategies and risk tolerances.

The F-Score’s place in the field of quantitative value investing has remained important in the 20+ years since its introduction. Its simplicity and intuitive design based on key financial statement. Items make it appealing to use alongside other fundamental metrics and multiples. When used judiciously, the Piotroski F-Score can help investors efficiently filter for high potential opportunities among seemingly undervalued companies.

Limitations and Criticisms of the F-Score

While the F-Score has proven useful for many value investors, it’s certainly not without limitations that users should understand:

• The binary 0 or 1 scoring method is overly simplistic and fails to account for degrees of relative performance on each factor
• All nine factors are weighted equally despite some being arguably more important than others
• The F-Score only evaluates the current financial period without considering trends over multiple time periods
• Certain criteria may be less relevant or appropriate for some industries (e.g. focusing on leverage for capital-intensive businesses)
• The F-Score does not consider qualitative aspects like management, strategy, competitive positioning, etc.

Critics argue that the F-Score places too much emphasis on consistent profitability, low leverage, and short-term performance changes versus drivers of a company’s future value creation. Many high-growth companies may score poorly despite attractive long-term prospects.

There are also econometric studies questioning whether the F-Score actually offers predictive value for future share price performance once factors like market capitalization are controlled for.

However, despite the criticisms, most analysts view the F-Score as a simple initial screening tool rather than the sole basis for investment decisions. It continues to be widely used as part of the fundamental analysis toolbox, particularly for more risk-averse value investors focused on financial strength and quality.

The Piotroski F-Score remains one of the most well-known scoring systems in quantitative value investing over 20 years after its introduction. By evaluating nine key financial statement metrics, the F-Score provides a straightforward way to identify companies with robust profitability, healthy liquidity and leverage situations, rising efficiency, and overall financial vitality. While not without limitations, the F-Score can serve as an effective first step to narrow a list of the value candidates for further research.