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Hightech Payment Systems (CAS:HPS) Piotroski F-Score Explanation
The developer of the system is Joseph D. Piotroski is relatively unknown accounting professor who shuns publicity and rarely gives interviews.
He graduated from the University of Illinois with a B.S. in accounting in 1989, received an M.B.A. from Indiana University in 1994. Five years later, in 1999, after earning a Ph.D. in accounting from the University of Michigan, he became an associate professor of accounting at the University of Chicago.
He wanted to see if he can develop a system (using a simple nine-point scoring system) that can increase the returns of a strategy of investing in low price to book (referred to in the paper as high book to market) value companies.
What he found was something that exceeded his most optimistic expectations.
Buying only those companies that scored highest (8 or 9) on his nine-point scale, or F-Score as he called it, over the 20 year period from 1976 to 1996 led to an average out-performance over the market of 13.4%.
Even more impressive were the results of a strategy of investing in the highest F-Score companies (8 or 9) and shorting companies with the lowest F-Score (0 or 1).
Over the same period from 1976 to 1996 (20 years) this strategy led to an average yearly return of 23%, substantially outperforming the average S&P 500 index return of 15.83% over the same period.
Hightech Payment Systems Piotroski F-Score Related Terms
Hightech Payment Systems Piotroski F-Score Historical Data
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
CAS:HPS vs MSFT, ORCL, PLTR: Piotroski F-Score Comparison
For the Software - Infrastructure subindustry, Hightech Payment Systems's Piotroski F-Score, along with its competitors' market caps and Piotroski F-Score data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Hightech Payment Systems Piotroski F-Score vs Software Industry
For the Software industry and Technology sector, Hightech Payment Systems's Piotroski F-Score distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Hightech Payment Systems's Piotroski F-Score falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
*Note: If the latest quarterly/semi-annual/annual total assets data is 0, then we will use previous quarterly/semi-annual/annual data for all the items in the balance sheet.
Profitability
Question 1. Return on Assets (ROA)
Net income before extraordinary items for the year divided by Total Assets at the beginning of the year.
Score 1 if positive, 0 if negative.
Hightech Payment Systems's current Net Income (TTM) was 106.
==> Positive ==> Score 1.
Question 2. Cash Flow Return on Assets (CFROA)
Net cash flow from operating activities (operating cash flow) divided by Total Assets at the beginning of the year.
Score 1 if positive, 0 if negative.
Hightech Payment Systems's current Cash Flow from Operations (TTM) was 239.
==> Positive ==> Score 1.
Question 3. Change in Return on Assets
Compare this year's return on assets (1) to last year's return on assets.
Hightech Payment Systems's return on assets of this year was 0.04770979. Hightech Payment Systems's return on assets of last year was 0.04654416.
==> This year is higher. ==> Score 1.
Question 4. Quality of Earnings (Accrual)
Compare Cash flow return on assets (2) to return on assets (1)
Hightech Payment Systems's gearing of this year was 0.20778211. Hightech Payment Systems's gearing of last year was 0.28410054.
==> This year is lower or equal to last year. ==> Score 1.
Question 6. Change in Working Capital (Liquidity)
Compare this year's current ratio (current assets divided by current liabilities) to last year's current ratio.
Score 1 if this year's current ratio is higher, 0 if it's lower
Hightech Payment Systems's current ratio of this year was 1.83354197. Hightech Payment Systems's current ratio of last year was 1.81285582.
==> This year's current ratio is higher. ==> Score 1.
Question 7. Change in Shares in Issue
Compare the number of shares in issue this year, to the number in issue last year.
Score 0 if there is larger number of shares in issue this year, 1 otherwise.
Hightech Payment Systems's number of shares in issue this year was 7.407. Hightech Payment Systems's number of shares in issue last year was 7.404.
==> There is larger number of shares in issue this year. ==> Score 0.
Efficiency
Question 8. Change in Gross Margin
Compare this year's gross margin (Gross Profit divided by sales) to last year's.
Score 1 if this year's gross margin is higher, 0 if it's lower.
Hightech Payment Systems's gross margin of this year was 0.4184298. Hightech Payment Systems's gross margin of last year was 0.40359431.
==> This year's gross margin is higher. ==> Score 1.
Question 9. Change in asset turnover
Compare this year's asset turnover (total sales for the year divided by total assets at the beginning of the year) to last year's asset turnover ratio.
Score 1 if this year's asset turnover ratio is higher, 0 if it's lower
Hightech Payment Systems's asset turnover of this year was 0.66588758. Hightech Payment Systems's asset turnover of last year was 0.74443703.
==> Last year's asset turnover is higher ==> Score 0.
Evaluation
Piotroski F-Score
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7
Good or high score = 7, 8, 9
Bad or low score = 0, 1, 2, 3
Hightech Payment Systems has an F-score of 7. It is a good or high score, which usually indicates a very healthy situation.
Hightech Payment Systems (CAS:HPS) has a Piotroski F-Score of 7 as of Aug. 14, 2026. The Piotroski F-score grades a company's business operating strength from 0-9. View historical data on Hightech Payment Systems and its competitors. This is 17% above median its historical median of 6.00. Over the past decade, Hightech Payment Systems' Piotroski F-Score has ranged from 4.00 to 7.00. According to the industry distribution chart, Hightech Payment Systems ranks #224 out of 2725 companies in the Software industry, placing it in the top 8.2%.
Is Hightech Payment Systems' Piotroski F-Score too high?
Hightech Payment Systems' current Piotroski F-Score of 7 is 17% above median its 10-year median of 6.00. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 4.00 to a high of 7.00. The Software industry median Piotroski F-Score is 5.00. Hightech Payment Systems' value of 7 is 40% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Hightech Payment Systems ranks #224 out of 2725 companies in the Software industry, which is in the top quartile — a strong position relative to peers. Overall, Hightech Payment Systems has a GF Score™ of 100/100 and is considered Modestly Undervalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Hightech Payment Systems' Piotroski F-Score compare to MSFT and ORCL?
According to the Software industry distribution chart, Hightech Payment Systems ranks #224 out of 2725 companies for Piotroski F-Score. This places Hightech Payment Systems in the top 8% of its industry — outperforming the majority of peers. The industry median Piotroski F-Score is 5.00. Hightech Payment Systems' value of 7 is 40% above this benchmark. Historically, Hightech Payment Systems' own Piotroski F-Score has ranged from 4.00 to 7.00 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 6.00 vs. the industry median of 5.00, Hightech Payment Systems has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Piotroski F-Score for a Software company?
The median Piotroski F-Score among Software companies is 5.00, based on 2,725 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Piotroski F-Score significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Piotroski F-Score should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Hightech Payment Systems's current Piotroski F-Score of 7 is 40% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Piotroski F-Score mean?
A high Piotroski F-Score can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. The Piotroski F-score grades a company's business operating strength from 0-9. View historical data on Hightech Payment Systems and its competitors. For the Software industry, the median Piotroski F-Score is 5.00 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Hightech Payment Systems's current Piotroski F-Score is 7, which is 17% above median its own 10-year median of 6.00. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Hightech Payment Systems stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Hightech Payment Systems (CAS:HPS) is currently considered Modestly Undervalued. The stock's GF Value™ is MAD824.83, compared to a current price of MAD645.00 — trading 21.8% below its estimated fair value. The current Piotroski F-Score is 7, which is 17% above median its 10-year median of 6.00 and 40% above the Software industry median of 5.00. Hightech Payment Systems' overall GF Score™ is 100/100 with 4 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Piotroski F-Score calculated?
Piotroski F-Score is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Hightech Payment Systems (CAS:HPS), the current Piotroski F-Score is 7 as of Aug. 14, 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Hightech Payment Systems (CAS:HPS) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Hightech Payment Systems stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of MAD645.00 is trading 21.8% below its estimated GF Value™ of MAD824.83.
GuruFocus considers Hightech Payment Systems to be Modestly Undervalued.
Key valuation signals for CAS:HPS:
Piotroski F-Score: 7 (17% above median its 10-year median of 6.00)
GF Value™: MAD824.83 vs. price of MAD645.00 (21.8% below fair value)
Industry Position: 40% above the Software median (#224 of 2725)
No single metric tells the full story. See the CAS:HPS stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Hightech Payment Systems SA is the group that provides solutions and services involving electronic payment. The company provides its clients with technology solutions that transcend the entire payments value chain, enabling them to innovate rapidly and bring new products to market with ease and efficiency using HPS' PowerCARD software. The PowerCARD suite is fully integrated with all international payment networks, and supports all back-office payments functions. The company's software and services are sold covering many geographical areas such as Europe, Americas, Africa and the Middle East and Asia. The group's majority revenue is generated from Africa.
100GF Score
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