This article is written for those who want to get better at using price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). We'll look at Systemax Inc.'s (NYSE:SYX) P/E ratio and reflect on what it tells us about the company's share price. Systemax has a P/E ratio of 15.56, based on the last twelve months. In other words, at today's prices, investors are paying $15.56 for every $1 in prior year profit.
See our latest analysis for Systemax
How Do You Calculate A P/E Ratio?
The formula for price to earnings is:
Price to Earnings Ratio = Price per Share ÷ Earnings per Share (EPS)
Or for Systemax:
P/E of 15.56 = $21.82 ÷ $1.40 (Based on the year to June 2019.)
Is A High Price-to-Earnings Ratio Good?
A higher P/E ratio implies that investors pay a higher price for the earning power of the business. All else being equal, it's better to pay a low price -- but as Warren Buffett said, 'It's far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price.
How Does Systemax's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?
The P/E ratio essentially measures market expectations of a company. The image below shows that Systemax has a P/E ratio that is roughly in line with the trade distributors industry average (16.4).
That indicates that the market expects Systemax will perform roughly in line with other companies in its industry. So if Systemax actually outperforms its peers going forward, that should be a positive for the share price. Further research into factors such as insider buying and selling, could help you form your own view on whether that is likely.
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. When earnings grow, the 'E' increases, over time. And in that case, the P/E ratio itself will drop rather quickly. Then, a lower P/E should attract more buyers, pushing the share price up.
Systemax's earnings per share fell by 21% in the last twelve months.
Remember: P/E Ratios Don't Consider The Balance Sheet
Don't forget that the P/E ratio considers market capitalization. In other words, it does not consider any debt or cash that the company may have on the balance sheet. 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).
Such expenditure might be good or bad, in the long term, but the point here is that the balance sheet is not reflected by this ratio.
So What Does Systemax's Balance Sheet Tell Us?
With net cash of US$91m, Systemax has a very strong balance sheet, which may be important for its business. Having said that, at 11% of its market capitalization the cash hoard would contribute towards a higher P/E ratio.