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 MBH Corporation PLC's (FRA:M8H), to help you decide if the stock is worth further research. MBH has a P/E ratio of 5.71, based on the last twelve months. That is equivalent to an earnings yield of about 17.5%.
Check out our latest analysis for MBH
How Do You Calculate A P/E Ratio?
The formula for P/E is:
Price to Earnings Ratio = Share Price (in reporting currency) ÷ Earnings per Share (EPS)
Or for MBH:
P/E of 5.71 = €0.56 (Note: this is the share price in the reporting currency, namely, GBP ) ÷ €0.10 (Based on the year to June 2019.)
Is A High P/E Ratio Good?
A higher P/E ratio implies that investors pay a higher price for the earning power of the business. 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 MBH Have A Relatively High Or Low P/E For Its Industry?
We can get an indication of market expectations by looking at the P/E ratio. If you look at the image below, you can see MBH has a lower P/E than the average (12.6) in the consumer services industry classification.
Its relatively low P/E ratio indicates that MBH shareholders think it will struggle to do as well as other companies in its industry classification. Since the market seems unimpressed with MBH, it's quite possible it could surprise on the upside. If you consider the stock interesting, further research is recommended. For example, I often monitor director buying and selling.
How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios
Earnings growth rates have a big influence on P/E ratios. That's because companies that grow earnings per share quickly will rapidly increase the 'E' in the equation. Therefore, even if you pay a high multiple of earnings now, that multiple will become lower in the future. So while a stock may look expensive based on past earnings, it could be cheap based on future earnings.
In the last year, MBH grew EPS like Taylor Swift grew her fan base back in 2010; the 62% gain was both fast and well deserved.
A Limitation: P/E Ratios Ignore Debt and Cash In The Bank
One drawback of using a P/E ratio is that it considers market capitalization, but not the balance sheet. So it won't reflect the advantage of cash, or disadvantage of debt. 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).