52-week high/low

The highest, or lowest, price a share has traded at in a passing year.

What is a 52-week high?

A 52-week high is the highest price at which an asset has been traded over the prior 52 weeks.
This information is important to some investors, who might see it as an indicator that they use as part of their investment strategy.

How does a 52-week high work?

Almost all stock exchanges have operating hours during which trading takes place. The London Stock Exchange, for example, is open for trading from 08:00 AM until 04:30 PM.

The final price at which a stock can be bought during trading hours is known as the ‘closing price’. This is the price which is generally used to determine if a stock has reached a 52 week high.

Analysts will look at the closing price of a stock and compare it to all the other closing prices that the stock has seen over the prior 52 weeks. If it is higher than all the other closing prices, that will mean it’s a 52 week high.


Why is a 52-week high important?

There is a lot of debate as to how meaningful a 52 week high actually is. It’s generally seen as an indicator for traders using technical analysis.

Even amongst those that do believe 52 week highs hold some meaning, there is uncertainty as to how it should impact the investment decision-making process.

Some people argue that the sentiment which caused a stock to increase in value is likely to continue and it will drive its price higher.

On the other hand, if the stock bounces back then people might see that highest price as a ceiling beyond which the stock is unlikely to rise in price.

What is a 52-week low?

A 52 week low is the lowest price at which an asset has been traded over the prior 52 weeks.

This information is important to some investors, who might see it as an indicator to be used as part of their investment strategy.

How does a 52-week low work?

Almost all stock exchanges have operating hours during which trading takes place. The London Stock Exchange, for example, is open for trading from 08:00 AM until 04:30 PM.

The final price at which a stock can be bought during trading hours is known as the ‘closing price’. This is the price which people generally use to determine if a stock has reached a 52 week low.

Analysts will look at the closing price of a stock and compare it to all the other closing prices that the stock has seen over the prior 52 weeks. If it is lower than all the other numbers, that will mean it’s a 52 week low.


Why is a 52-week low important?

There is a lot of debate as to how meaningful a 52 week low actually is. It’s generally seen as an indicator for traders using technical analysis.

Even amongst those that do believe 52 week lows hold some meaning, there is uncertainty as to how it should the investment decision-making process.

Some people argue that the negative sentiment which drove a stock to fall in value is likely to continue and it will fall lower.

On the other hand, if the stock bounces back then people might see that lowest price as a bottom beyond which the stock is unlikely to fall in price. That may cause some people to buy at that price if it dips down to it again.

More terms

Retail Prices Index (RPI)

An index published each month by the Office for National Statistics, which measures the level of retail prices in the UK. Cash flows on all index-linked gilts are linked to the RPI.
Read more

Investment Trust

A company that pools money together from multiple investors and then invests it.
Read more

Conventional gilts

Gilts where the dividends and principal repayments are fixed in nominal terms. This is as opposed to an index-linked gilt where the dividends and principal repayments are related to movements in the Retail Prices Index (RPI).
Read more

Investment Return

The amount of money made or lost from an investment. Usually expressed as a percentage.
Read more

Money laundering

A method of moving money obtained illicitly through the financial system so it can be used legally.
Read more

Running yield

The annual interest payment (dividend) divided by the current market price of a bond.
Read more

Alpha

The percentage by which an investor outperforms a relevant benchmark.
Read more

Money weighted rate of return

Learn what Money Weighted Rate of Return or MWRR stands for in finance.
Read more

Income statement

A summary of a company's income and expenses over a set period of time.
Read more

You’re just minutes away from commission-free investing

When you invest, your capital is at risk