This article is for investors who would like to improve their understanding of price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). We'll look at Sonam Clock Limited's (NSE:SONAMCLOCK) P/E ratio and reflect on what it tells us about the company's share price. Sonam Clock has a P/E ratio of 9.47, based on the last twelve months. That corresponds to an earnings yield of approximately 11%.
Check out our latest analysis for Sonam Clock
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 Sonam Clock:
P/E of 9.47 = ₹37.1 ÷ ₹3.92 (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2019.)
Is A High Price-to-Earnings Ratio Good?
A higher P/E ratio means that investors are paying a higher price for each ₹1 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.
How Does Sonam Clock's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?
The P/E ratio essentially measures market expectations of a company. If you look at the image below, you can see Sonam Clock has a lower P/E than the average (22.9) in the consumer durables industry classification.
This suggests that market participants think Sonam Clock will underperform other companies in its industry. Many investors like to buy stocks when the market is pessimistic about their prospects. You should delve deeper. I like to check if company insiders have been buying or selling.
How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios
Generally speaking the rate of earnings growth has a profound impact on a company's P/E multiple. That's because companies that grow earnings per share quickly will rapidly increase the 'E' in the equation. That means unless the share price increases, the P/E will reduce in a few years. And as that P/E ratio drops, the company will look cheap, unless its share price increases.
Sonam Clock shrunk earnings per share by 2.8% last year. But EPS is up 37% over the last 5 years.
Don't Forget: The P/E Does Not Account For Debt or Bank Deposits
It's important to note that the P/E ratio considers the market capitalization, not the enterprise value. 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).
While growth expenditure doesn't always pay off, the point is that it is a good option to have; but one that the P/E ratio ignores.
So What Does Sonam Clock's Balance Sheet Tell Us?
Net debt is 37% of Sonam Clock's market cap. While that's enough to warrant consideration, it doesn't really concern us.