coteauBeta Get App

Learn · Intermediate

Financial health: Altman Z and Piotroski F

Two classic scores built from a company's filed financial statements

Altman Z-score

Edward Altman's 1968 formula combines five ratios (working capital, retained earnings, operating profit, market value of equity and sales, each relative to total assets or liabilities). Lower scores have historically gone with more financial distress; the original cut-offs are about 1.8 and 3.0.

Piotroski F-score

Joseph Piotroski's 2000 score awards one point for each of nine tests on profitability, debt and liquidity, and efficiency, such as positive cash flow, falling leverage and a rising gross margin. Scores run from 0 to 9.

Limits

Both scores were designed for industrial companies and don't fit banks and insurers, so Coteau hides them for financials. They use the latest filed statements, which can be months old.

Educational only. Describes ideas and how Coteau shows them; not a forecast and not advice.

Free. Not investment advice. Unsubscribe anytime.

coteau

Free to use. No card, no ads, no auto-renew.

Independent research · Not investment advice · Hypothetical unless marked Live · Data: Yahoo Finance (15-min delayed), SEC EDGAR, House Clerk · Important disclosures · Contact desk@coteau.app

Beta 0.9 · Oct 21, 2026