Price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio

Price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio

Investors evaluate companies from various angles in their search for reliable stocks. The viewpoints can be strengthened by using different analysis. One technique that can assist you in determining a stock’s fair market value is fundamental analysis. 

Fundamental analysis forms the foundation for numerous ratios. The price-to-earnings ratio (P/E ratio) is an important measure that investors use to evaluate a company from a valuation standpoint. 

What is price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio? 

Price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, sometimes referred to as the earnings multiple, is a method for valuing businesses that helps investors determine whether a firm is overvalued or undervalued.  

Financial indicators that examine a firm’s earnings, such as P/E ratios, are crucial because they help investors and investment bankers make judgments and reveal whether a company is or will be profitable. 

Using the price-to-earnings ratio, one can assess how a company stacks up against rivals in the same sector. P/E ratios of various firms can be compared to determine a better investment.  

To better understand a company’s growth and potential future growth, the P/E ratio can also be compared to the company’s historical performance. 

Understanding the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio 

The price-to-earnings Ratio (P/E) is one of the measures that analysts and investors use most frequently to determine a stock’s relative value. You can decide if a stock is overvalued or undervalued using its P/E ratio. A company’s P/E ratio can also be contrasted with other stocks in the same industry or the market, such as the S&P 500 Index. 

The P/E 10 or P/E 30 metrics, which average the last 10 or prior 30 years of earnings, are occasionally considered by analysts interested in long-term valuation patterns. When calculating the total worth of stock indices like the S&P 500, these longer-term metrics are typically used since they can take the business cycle into account. 

P/E ratio formula and calculation 

The key equation for determining a company’s trailing P/E ratio is: 

P/E ratio = cost per share/earnings per share 

This formula reads: 

The stock’s current market price is the cost per share, or the price associated with purchasing one share of a corporation. 

Earnings per share (EPS) is the annual net profit divided by the number of outstanding shares for a corporation (shares of common stock issued to investors). A future P/E analysis considers expected earnings from analysts and the company itself, whereas a trailing P/E analysis bases the earnings per share on the last 12 months of earnings. 

The P/E ratio of a corporation is usually shown in the form of an “x” (such as 20x or 15x), which denotes how often the stock price is greater than the earnings per share. A company’s P/E ratio is 30/1 or 30x if its stock trades at $30 per share and earns $1 per share annually.  

All that reveals is that the corporation makes $1 annually for every $30 in stock. Or, it would take 30 years for the company to make enough money to reimburse the share price assuming the stock price and earnings remained unchanged. 

Types of price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio 

The types of price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios are as follows: 

• Future P/E ratio 

It is computed by dividing the prices of a company’s shares of stock by the company’s projected earnings as indicated by its forward-looking earnings projection. This type of ratio is also known as an estimated P/E Ratio because it is based on a company’s expected future earnings. 

• Trailing P/E ratio 

Investors commonly use the trailing P/E Ratio, which looks at a company’s historical earnings over a given period. This offers a more precise and impartial picture of a company’s performance. 

Example of price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio 

To better understand the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, let’s look at the following example: 

If Stock X is trading at $30 and Stock Y is at $20, Stock X is not necessarily more costly. From a value perspective, the P/E ratio might help us choose which of the two is less expensive. 

Even though Stock X has a greater absolute price than Stock Y, if the sector’s average P/E is 15, Stock X is more affordable since you pay less for every $1 in current earnings. However, Stock Y has a larger ratio than its rival and the industry. This could imply that investors anticipate future earnings growth higher than the market average. 

Frequently Asked Questions