In This Article:
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 Kesla Oyj's (HEL:KELAS), to help you decide if the stock is worth further research. Based on the last twelve months, Kesla Oyj's P/E ratio is 7.24. That means that at current prices, buyers pay €7.24 for every €1 in trailing yearly profits.
Check out our latest analysis for Kesla Oyj
How Do You Calculate A P/E Ratio?
The formula for price to earnings is:
Price to Earnings Ratio = Share Price ÷ Earnings per Share (EPS)
Or for Kesla Oyj:
P/E of 7.24 = EUR5.00 ÷ EUR0.69 (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2019.)
Is A High Price-to-Earnings Ratio Good?
A higher P/E ratio means that investors are paying a higher price for each EUR1 of company earnings. That is not a good or a bad thing per se, but a high P/E does imply buyers are optimistic about the future.
Does Kesla Oyj Have A Relatively High Or Low P/E For Its Industry?
The P/E ratio essentially measures market expectations of a company. If you look at the image below, you can see Kesla Oyj has a lower P/E than the average (17.7) in the machinery industry classification.
Kesla Oyj's P/E tells us that market participants think it will not fare as well as its peers in the same industry. Since the market seems unimpressed with Kesla Oyj, it's quite possible it could surprise on the upside. You 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. That means even if the current P/E is high, it will reduce over time if the share price stays flat. So while a stock may look expensive based on past earnings, it could be cheap based on future earnings.
Kesla Oyj's earnings made like a rocket, taking off 59% last year. The cherry on top is that the five year growth rate was an impressive 20% per year. With that kind of growth rate we would generally expect a high P/E ratio.
Remember: P/E Ratios Don't Consider The Balance Sheet
It's important to note that the P/E ratio considers the market capitalization, not the enterprise value. So it won't reflect the advantage of cash, or disadvantage of debt. In theory, a company can lower its future P/E ratio by using cash or debt to invest in growth.
Spending on growth might be good or bad a few years later, but the point is that the P/E ratio does not account for the option (or lack thereof).