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This article is written for those who want to get better at using price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). We'll apply a basic P/E ratio analysis to Bisichi Mining Plc's (LON:BISI), to help you decide if the stock is worth further research. Bisichi Mining has a price to earnings ratio of 3.38, based on the last twelve months. That means that at current prices, buyers pay £3.38 for every £1 in trailing yearly profits.
See our latest analysis for Bisichi Mining
How Do I Calculate A Price To Earnings Ratio?
The formula for P/E is:
Price to Earnings Ratio = Price per Share ÷ Earnings per Share (EPS)
Or for Bisichi Mining:
P/E of 3.38 = £1.05 ÷ £0.31 (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2018.)
Is A High Price-to-Earnings Ratio Good?
A higher P/E ratio means that buyers have to pay a higher price for each £1 the company has earned over the last year. That is not a good or a bad thing per se, but a high P/E does imply buyers are optimistic about the future.
How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios
Probably the most important factor in determining what P/E a company trades on is the earnings growth. Earnings growth means that in the future the 'E' will be higher. Therefore, even if you pay a high multiple of earnings now, that multiple will become lower in the future. And as that P/E ratio drops, the company will look cheap, unless its share price increases.
In the last year, Bisichi Mining grew EPS like Taylor Swift grew her fan base back in 2010; the 342% gain was both fast and well deserved. The cherry on top is that the five year growth rate was an impressive 56% per year. With that kind of growth rate we would generally expect a high P/E ratio.
How Does Bisichi Mining's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?
One good way to get a quick read on what market participants expect of a company is to look at its P/E ratio. If you look at the image below, you can see Bisichi Mining has a lower P/E than the average (8.7) in the oil and gas industry classification.
This suggests that market participants think Bisichi Mining will underperform other companies in its industry. Many investors like to buy stocks when the market is pessimistic about their prospects. If you consider the stock interesting, further research is recommended. For example, I often monitor director buying and selling.
Remember: P/E Ratios Don't Consider The Balance Sheet
The 'Price' in P/E reflects the market capitalization of the company. Thus, the metric does not reflect cash or debt held by the company. Theoretically, a business can improve its earnings (and produce a lower P/E in the future) by investing in growth. That means taking on debt (or spending its cash).