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Forum Merger IV (NAS:FMIVW) 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.
Forum Merger IV Piotroski F-Score Related Terms
Forum Merger IV Piotroski F-Score Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Forum Merger IV's Piotroski F-Score can be seen below:
* 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.
FMIVW vs ZT, NAAC, TIOA: Piotroski F-Score Comparison
For the Shell Companies subindustry, Forum Merger IV'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.
Forum Merger IV Piotroski F-Score vs Diversified Financial Services Industry
For the Diversified Financial Services industry and Financial Services sector, Forum Merger IV's Piotroski F-Score distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Forum Merger IV'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.
Forum Merger IV's current Net Income (TTM) was 5.67.
==> 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.
Forum Merger IV's return on assets of this year was 0.01680752. Forum Merger IV's return on assets of last year was -3.62222222.
==> This year is higher. ==> Score 1.
Question 4. Quality of Earnings (Accrual)
Compare Cash flow return on assets (2) to return on assets (1)
Forum Merger IV's current ratio of this year was 0.4855377. Forum Merger IV's current ratio of last year was 0.96121298.
==> Last year's current ratio is higher ==> Score 0.
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.
Forum Merger IV's number of shares in issue this year was 0. Forum Merger IV's number of shares in issue last year was 0.
==> There is smaller number of shares in issue this year, or the same. ==> Score 1.
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.
Forum Merger IV's gross margin of this year was . Forum Merger IV's gross margin of last year was .
==> Last year's gross margin is higher ==> Score 0.
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
Forum Merger IV's asset turnover of this year was 0. Forum Merger IV's asset turnover of last year was 0.
==> Last year's asset turnover is higher ==> Score 0.
Evaluation
Piotroski F-Score
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4
Good or high score = 7, 8, 9
Bad or low score = 0, 1, 2, 3
Forum Merger IV has an F-score of 4 indicating the company's financial situation is typical for a stable company.
Forum Merger IV (FMIVW) has a Piotroski F-Score of 4 as of Sep. 09, 2026. The Piotroski F-score grades a company's business operating strength from 0-9. View historical data on Forum Merger IV and its competitors. This is near median its historical median of 4.00. Over the past decade, Forum Merger IV's Piotroski F-Score has ranged from 4.00 to 4.00.
Is Forum Merger IV's Piotroski F-Score too high?
Forum Merger IV's current Piotroski F-Score of 4 is near median its 10-year median of 4.00. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 4.00 to a high of 4.00. The Diversified Financial Services industry median Piotroski F-Score is 3.00. Forum Merger IV's value of 4 is 33.3% above this industry median. Overall, Forum Merger IV has a GF Score™ of 22/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Forum Merger IV's Piotroski F-Score compare to ZT and NAAC?
Forum Merger IV's Piotroski F-Score of 4 can be compared against companies in the Diversified Financial Services industry. The industry median Piotroski F-Score is 3.00. Forum Merger IV's value of 4 is 33.3% above this benchmark. Historically, Forum Merger IV's own Piotroski F-Score has ranged from 4.00 to 4.00 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 4.00 vs. the industry median of 3.00, Forum Merger IV 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 Diversified Financial Services company?
The median Piotroski F-Score among Diversified Financial Services companies is 3.00, based on 312 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. Forum Merger IV's current Piotroski F-Score of 4 is 33.3% 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 Forum Merger IV and its competitors. For the Diversified Financial Services industry, the median Piotroski F-Score is 3.00 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Forum Merger IV's current Piotroski F-Score is 4, which is near median its own 10-year median of 4.00. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Forum Merger IV stock overvalued right now?
Forum Merger IV (FMIVW) has a current Piotroski F-Score of 4. The current Piotroski F-Score is 4, which is near median its 10-year median of 4.00 and 33.3% above the Diversified Financial Services industry median of 3.00. Forum Merger IV's overall GF Score™ is 22/100. 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 Forum Merger IV (FMIVW), the current Piotroski F-Score is 4 as of Sep. 09, 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.
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