In This Article:
Today, we'll introduce the concept of the P/E ratio for those who are learning about investing. To keep it practical, we'll show how Airbus SE's (EPA:AIR) P/E ratio could help you assess the value on offer. Looking at earnings over the last twelve months, Airbus has a P/E ratio of 24.89. That is equivalent to an earnings yield of about 4.0%.
View our latest analysis for Airbus
How Do I Calculate Airbus's Price To Earnings Ratio?
The formula for P/E is:
Price to Earnings Ratio = Price per Share ÷ Earnings per Share (EPS)
Or for Airbus:
P/E of 24.89 = €120.40 ÷ €4.84 (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 €1 of company earnings. That isn't a good or a bad thing on its own, but a high P/E means that buyers have a higher opinion of the business's prospects, relative to stocks with a lower P/E.
Does Airbus Have A Relatively High Or Low P/E For Its Industry?
The P/E ratio essentially measures market expectations of a company. You can see in the image below that the average P/E (24.9) for companies in the aerospace & defense industry is roughly the same as Airbus's P/E.
Its P/E ratio suggests that Airbus shareholders think that in the future it will perform about the same as other companies in its industry classification. So if Airbus actually outperforms its peers going forward, that should be a positive for the share price. Checking factors such as director buying and selling. could help you form your own view on if that will happen.
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. If earnings are growing quickly, then the 'E' in the equation will increase faster than it would otherwise. And in that case, the P/E ratio itself will drop rather quickly. So while a stock may look expensive based on past earnings, it could be cheap based on future earnings.
In the last year, Airbus grew EPS like Taylor Swift grew her fan base back in 2010; the 112% gain was both fast and well deserved. The cherry on top is that the five year growth rate was an impressive 15% per year. With that kind of growth rate we would generally expect a high P/E ratio.
A Limitation: P/E Ratios Ignore Debt and Cash In The Bank
The 'Price' in P/E reflects the market capitalization of the company. That means it doesn't take debt or cash into account. Hypothetically, a company could reduce its future P/E ratio by spending its cash (or taking on debt) to achieve higher earnings.