The right price for fundamental data: adjusted or unadjusted close?

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1

I want to determine the average unadjusted closing price historically. I would use this information to estimate how many $ worth of stock insiders had purchased in the past. My approach so far has been to use the UNADJUSTED closing, which requres bulky syntax (e.g., FHist(“Price”, 52); Close(252)*SplitFactor(252); etc…). Is this right?

According to the documentation, Close() returns:
Historical close price dividend adjusted. When this function is evaluated in the past it reverses out future splits (if any).

CloseAdj() returns:
Historical Close price fully adjusted for splits even when used in the past (NOTE: only availalble in the Series Tool).

Pardon my ignorance, but I am not sure what the difference between the two. What is meant by reversing versus adjusting for future splits? These sound like the same thing to me. Please elaborate or clarify in documentation.

In a prior thread (https://www.portfolio123.com/mvnforum/viewthread_thread,7084#35194) Marco almost answers my question when he states: “Just use Close() with line item functions from FUNDAMENTALS->STATEMENTS & FILINGS. These line item functions are point-in-time and so is Close()”.

So, to really answer my question, please clarify which of the following scenarios is more accurate:
PricePY * SharesPYQ = FHist(“MktCap”, 52) // or
Close(252) * SharesPYQ = FHist(“MktCap”, 52)

Thanks!

2

Also, since a volume moving average is probably most appropriate measure for the “true” average price, can I use the following for estimating the amount of insider $ flowing into a stock:
(VMA(126)*InsNetShrPurch)
Or would I have to rely on the UNADJUSTED closing price (i.e., Price or PricePY)?

3

Was there ever an answer to this? I’d really like unadjusted open / high / low / close prices as well.

4

We now have the CloseExDiv function which will return prices unadjusted for past dividends. And I believe that we never adjust prices in the simulator/strategy tool at all. (You get dividends paid into the cash line instead.)

5

The command “Price” gives you the unadjusted price. The command “Close()” adjusts the price for dividends and splits. The command “CloseExDiv()” adjusts the price for splits only.