This article is written for those who want to get better at using price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). We'll look at FM Mattsson Mora Group AB (publ)'s (STO:FMM B) P/E ratio and reflect on what it tells us about the company's share price. Looking at earnings over the last twelve months, FM Mattsson Mora Group has a P/E ratio of 12.45. That corresponds to an earnings yield of approximately 8.0%.
View our latest analysis for FM Mattsson Mora Group
How Do You Calculate A P/E Ratio?
The formula for P/E is:
Price to Earnings Ratio = Share Price ÷ Earnings per Share (EPS)
Or for FM Mattsson Mora Group:
P/E of 12.45 = SEK78.800 ÷ SEK6.331 (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2019.)
(Note: the above calculation results may not be precise due to rounding.)
Is A High Price-to-Earnings Ratio Good?
The higher the P/E ratio, the higher the price tag of a business, relative to its trailing earnings. 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 FM Mattsson Mora Group's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?
One good way to get a quick read on what market participants expect of a company is to look at its P/E ratio. The image below shows that FM Mattsson Mora Group has a lower P/E than the average (16.9) P/E for companies in the building industry.
This suggests that market participants think FM Mattsson Mora Group will underperform other companies in its industry. Since the market seems unimpressed with FM Mattsson Mora Group, it's quite possible it could surprise on the upside. It is arguably worth checking if insiders are buying shares, because that might imply they believe the stock is undervalued.
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. That means unless the share price increases, the P/E will reduce in a few years. Then, a lower P/E should attract more buyers, pushing the share price up.
FM Mattsson Mora Group increased earnings per share by a whopping 37% last year. And it has bolstered its earnings per share by 18% per year over the last five years. I'd therefore be a little surprised if its P/E ratio was not relatively high.
Don't Forget: The P/E Does Not Account For Debt or Bank Deposits
The 'Price' in P/E reflects the market capitalization of the company. That means it doesn't take debt or cash into account. The exact same company would hypothetically deserve a higher P/E ratio if it had a strong balance sheet, than if it had a weak one with lots of debt, because a cashed up company can spend on growth.