Data Update 1 for 2024: The data speaks, but what does it say?
In January 1993, I was valuing a retail company and needed to determine a reasonable margin for a firm in the retail sector. To find an answer, I turned to Value Line, one of the pioneers in the investment data business, to calculate an industry average using company-specific data. The results were enlightening, revealing the distribution of margins and how understanding high, low, and typical values could enhance the valuation process. At that time, such information was scarce. That year, I calculated industry-level statistics for five key variables frequently used in my valuations. Realizing there was no reason to keep these insights private, especially since I had no intention of becoming a data service, I shared them with my students. As the internet grew in prominence, I began sharing this data more broadly through my website. Over the years, this practice has evolved into an annual ritual. With the increase in accessible data and more advanced analysis tools, those initial five v...