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Today, we'll introduce the concept of the P/E ratio for those who are learning about investing. We'll look at E.ON SE's (FRA:EOAN) P/E ratio and reflect on what it tells us about the company's share price. Looking at earnings over the last twelve months, E.ON has a P/E ratio of 8.67. That is equivalent to an earnings yield of about 12%.
Check out our latest analysis for E.ON
How Do You Calculate E.ON's P/E Ratio?
The formula for P/E is:
Price to Earnings Ratio = Price per Share ÷ Earnings per Share (EPS)
Or for E.ON:
P/E of 8.67 = €9.42 ÷ €1.09 (Based on the year to March 2019.)
Is A High Price-to-Earnings Ratio Good?
A higher P/E ratio means that buyers have to pay a higher price for each €1 the company has earned over the last year. 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 E.ON'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 E.ON has a lower P/E than the average (18.9) in the integrated utilities industry classification.
Its relatively low P/E ratio indicates that E.ON shareholders think it will struggle to do as well as other companies in its industry classification. While current expectations are low, the stock could be undervalued if the situation is better than the market assumes. 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
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. Therefore, even if you pay a high multiple of earnings now, that multiple will become lower in the future. And as that P/E ratio drops, the company will look cheap, unless its share price increases.
E.ON shrunk earnings per share by 44% over the last year. But EPS is up 29% over the last 5 years.
Remember: P/E Ratios Don't Consider The Balance Sheet
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.
Spending on growth might be good or bad a few years later, but the point is that the P/E ratio does not account for the option (or lack thereof).