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It measures a company's ability to pay short-term obligations. It's also commonly referred to as a 'liquidity ratio'. A ratio of 1 means a company's assets are equal to its liabilities. Less than 1 means its liabilities exceed its short-term assets cash, inventory, receivables, etc. Above 1 means it assets are greater than its liabilities. A ratio of 2 means its assets are twice that of its liabilities. A higher number is better than a lower number.

A 'good' number would usually fall within the range of 1. Like most ratios, this number will vary from industry to industry. This measure is expressed as a percentage. A higher number means the more debt a company has compared to its capital structure. Investors like this metric as it shows how a company finances its operations, i. But note; this ratio can vary widely from industry to industry.

So be sure to compare it to its group when comparing stocks in different industries. Net Margin is defined as net income divided by sales. This shows the percentage of profit a company earns on its sales. A change in margin can reflect either a change in business conditions, or a company's cost controls, or both.

If a company's expenses are growing faster than their sales, this will reduce their margins. But note, different industries have different margin rates that are considered good. And margin rates can vary significantly across these different groups. So, when comparing one stock to another in a different industry, it's best make relative comparisons to that stock's respective industry values.

Return on Equity or ROE is calculated as income divided by average shareholder equity past 12 months, including reinvested earnings. The income number is listed on a company's Income Statement. ROE is always expressed as a percentage. Seeing how a company makes use of its equity, and the return generated on it, is an important measure to look at.

ROE values, like other values, can vary significantly from one industry to another. As the name suggests, it's calculated as sales divided by assets. This is also commonly referred to as the Asset Utilization ratio. A higher number is better than a lower one as it shows how effective a company is at generating revenue from its assets. It takes the consensus sales estimate for the current fiscal year F1 divided by the sales for the last completed fiscal year F0 actual if reported, the consensus if not.

While earnings are the driving metric behind stock prices, there wouldn't be any earnings to calculate if there weren't any sales to begin with. Like earnings, a higher growth rate is better than a lower growth rate. Seeing a company's projected sales growth instantly tells you what the outlook is for their products and services.

Of course, different industries will have different growth rates that are considered good. So be sure to compare a stock to its industry's growth rate when sizing up stocks from different groups. The Daily Price Change displays the day's percentage price change using the most recently completed close.

This item is updated at 9 pm EST each day. While the hover-quote on Zacks. This is useful for obvious reasons, but can also put the current day's intraday gains into better context by knowing if the recently completed trading day was up or down. The 1 Week Price Change displays the percentage price change over the last 5 trading days using the most recently completed close to the close from 5 days before.

The 1 week price change reflects the collective buying and selling sentiment over the short-term. A strong weekly advance especially when accompanied by increased volume is a sought after metric for putting potential momentum stocks onto one's radar.

Others will look for a pullback on the week as a good entry point, assuming the longer-term price changes 4 week, 12 weeks, etc.

The Momentum Score takes all of this and more into account. The 4 Week Price Change displays the percentage price change for the most recently completed 4 weeks 20 trading days. This is a medium-term price change metric. The 4 week price change is a good reference point for the individual stock and how it's performed in relation to its peers. The 12 Week Price Change displays the percentage price change over the most recently completed 12 weeks 60 days.

This is a medium-term price change metric like the 4 week price change. With 12 weeks representing a meaningful part of a year, this time period will show whether a stock has been enjoying strong investor demand, or if it's in consolidation, or distress.

The 52 Week Price Change displays the percentage price change over the most recently completed 52 weeks trading days. This is a longer-term price change metric. The 52 week price change is a good reference point. Some investors seek out stocks with the best percentage price change over the last 52 weeks, expecting that momentum to continue.

Others look for those that have lagged the market, believing those are the ones ripe for the biggest increases to come. Regardless of the many ways investors use this item, whether looking at a stock's price change, an index's return, or a portfolio manager's performance, this time-frame is a common judging metric in the financial industry.

The 20 Day Average Volume is the average daily trading volume over the last 20 trading days. Volume is a useful item in many ways. For one, part of trading is being able to get in and out of a stock easily. If the volume is too light, in absolute terms or for a relatively large position, it could be difficult to execute a trade. This is also useful to know when comparing a stock's daily volume which can be found on a ticker's hover-quote to that of its average volume.

A rising stock on above average volume is typically a bullish sign whereas a declining stock on above average volume is typically bearish. As they say, 'price follows volume'. The 20 day average establishes this baseline. Earnings estimate revisions are the most important factor influencing stocks prices.

It's an integral part of the Zacks Rank and a critical part in effective stock evaluation. Seeing a stock's EPS change over 1 week is important. But, it's made even more meaningful when looking at the longer-term 4 week percent change.

And, of course, the 4 week change helps put the 1 week change into context. SoFi Management Fee None. Learn More On Sofi's Website. Annual advisory fee 0. Learn More On Betterment's Website. Was this article helpful? Share your feedback.

Send feedback to the editorial team. Rate this Article. Thank You for your feedback! Something went wrong. Please try again later. Best Ofs. More from. Napoletano Contributor. Information provided on Forbes Advisor is for educational purposes only. Your financial situation is unique and the products and services we review may not be right for your circumstances. We do not offer financial advice, advisory or brokerage services, nor do we recommend or advise individuals or to buy or sell particular stocks or securities.

Performance information may have changed since the time of publication. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Forbes Advisor adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. With its hands in so many businesses, Microsoft has rivals large and small across many sub-sectors.

As one of the largest companies in the world, Microsoft has the kind of financial and market dominance that most companies can only dream of. It generates billions in profit every year and is truly a blue chip stock. Its strong position in many markets and strong balance sheet make it a fit for almost any investor. Also, Microsoft pays a dividend , making it a likely candidate for investors looking for a regular cash payout.

How much you can afford to invest has less to do with Microsoft than with your own personal financial situation. Stocks can be volatile. That means you should be able to live without the money for at least that length of time. Committing to holding the stock for three-to-five years is important. If the stock has more business risk, then you might choose an even lower percentage than this range. In addition, rather than just committing a one-time sum of money to the stock, consider how you can add money to your position over time.

Are you trading often or infrequently? Do you need a high level of service or research? Is cost the most important factor for you? A market order will buy the stock at whatever the current price is, while the limit order will execute only if the stock reaches the price that you specify.

Investors should take a long-term perspective on their investments, and they should consider taking advantage of dollar-cost averaging, if they believe in the stock for the long haul. With dollar-cost averaging, investors add a set amount of money to their position over time, and that really helps when a stock declines, allowing them to purchase more shares. High-flying stocks can dip from time-to-time, so the strategy can help you achieve a lower buy price and higher overall profits.

Editorial Disclaimer: All investors are advised to conduct their own independent research into investment strategies before making an investment decision. In addition, investors are advised that past investment product performance is no guarantee of future price appreciation. How We Make Money. Editorial disclosure. Courtesy of Microsoft. James Royal. Written by. Bankrate senior reporter James F. Royal, Ph. Edited By Brian Beers. Edited by.