52-Week Range
The 52-week range is a stock's highest and lowest price over the past year. Where the current price sits within that range is the simplest reference point for whether the stock is expensive or cheap right now.
How to read it
Stocks making new 52-week highs often still have momentum. Research shows the odds of further gains after a new high are not low, so the idea that a stock that has risen a lot is due for a fall does not hold up.
Being near the 52-week low does not make a stock cheap. First work out whether it fell because of market sentiment or because fundamentals deteriorated.
Common pitfalls
- The range looks only at price, not value. A company whose earnings have doubled can carry a lower valuation than a year ago even at its 52-week high.
On FinDog
A scale at the top of each stock page marks where the current price sits within the 52-week range. Market Temperature in the Daily Wrap counts how many stocks hit a one-year high or low that day.
Open the Screener →Related terms
- BetaBeta measures how much a stock moves relative to the overall market. A beta of 1 means it moves in step with the market; 1.5 means it moves 1.5% on average when the market moves 1%; below 1 means it is steadier than the market.
- Market CapitalizationMarket capitalization is the share price multiplied by total shares outstanding: the price the market puts on all of a company's equity. To compare the size of companies, look at market cap, not share price.