The goal of this article is to teach you how to use price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). We'll apply a basic P/E ratio analysis to Golden Eagle Retail Group Limited's (HKG:3308), to help you decide if the stock is worth further research. Golden Eagle Retail Group has a P/E ratio of 11.89, based on the last twelve months. That is equivalent to an earnings yield of about 8.4%.
See our latest analysis for Golden Eagle Retail Group
How Do I Calculate Golden Eagle Retail Group's Price To Earnings Ratio?
The formula for P/E is:
Price to Earnings Ratio = Share Price (in reporting currency) ÷ Earnings per Share (EPS)
Or for Golden Eagle Retail Group:
P/E of 11.89 = HK$7.68 (Note: this is the share price in the reporting currency, namely, CNY ) ÷ HK$0.65 (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2019.)
Is A High Price-to-Earnings Ratio Good?
A higher P/E ratio means that buyers have to pay a higher price for each HK$1 the company has earned over the last year. That isn't necessarily good or bad, but a high P/E implies relatively high expectations of what a company can achieve in the future.
Does Golden Eagle Retail Group Have A Relatively High Or Low P/E For Its Industry?
One good way to get a quick read on what market participants expect of a company is to look at its P/E ratio. As you can see below, Golden Eagle Retail Group has a higher P/E than the average company (10.3) in the multiline retail industry.
Golden Eagle Retail Group's P/E tells us that market participants think the company will perform better than its industry peers, going forward. Shareholders are clearly optimistic, but the future is always uncertain. So investors should delve deeper. I like to check if company insiders have been buying or selling.
How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios
Earnings growth rates have a big influence on P/E ratios. When earnings grow, the 'E' increases, over time. Therefore, even if you pay a high multiple of earnings now, that multiple will become lower in the future. A lower P/E should indicate the stock is cheap relative to others -- and that may attract buyers.
Golden Eagle Retail Group saw earnings per share decrease by 10% last year. But it has grown its earnings per share by 1.8% per year over the last five years.
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. In theory, a company can lower its future P/E ratio by using cash or debt to invest in growth.