Do You Like Acadian Timber Corp. (TSE:ADN) At This P/E Ratio?
Today, we'll introduce the concept of the P/E ratio for those who are learning about investing. We'll look at Acadian Timber Corp.'s (TSE:ADN) P/E ratio and reflect on what it tells us about the company's share price. Based on the last twelve months, Acadian Timber's P/E ratio is 15.58. That corresponds to an earnings yield of approximately 6.4%.
View our latest analysis for Acadian Timber
How Do I Calculate A Price To Earnings Ratio?
The formula for price to earnings is:
Price to Earnings Ratio = Price per Share ÷ Earnings per Share (EPS)
Or for Acadian Timber:
P/E of 15.58 = CA$16.37 ÷ CA$1.05 (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2019.)
Is A High P/E Ratio Good?
A higher P/E ratio means that buyers have to pay a higher price for each CA$1 the company has earned over the last year. 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.
Does Acadian Timber Have A Relatively High Or Low P/E For Its Industry?
We can get an indication of market expectations by looking at the P/E ratio. You can see in the image below that the average P/E (16.3) for companies in the forestry industry is roughly the same as Acadian Timber's P/E.
That indicates that the market expects Acadian Timber will perform roughly in line with other companies in its industry. The company could surprise by performing better than average, in the future. 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
If earnings fall then in the future the 'E' will be lower. That means unless the share price falls, the P/E will increase in a few years. So while a stock may look cheap based on past earnings, it could be expensive based on future earnings.
Acadian Timber saw earnings per share decrease by 21% last year. But over the longer term (5 years) earnings per share have increased by 16%. And over the longer term (3 years) earnings per share have decreased 13% annually. This growth rate might warrant a low P/E ratio.
Remember: P/E Ratios Don't Consider The Balance Sheet
It's important to note that the P/E ratio considers the market capitalization, not the enterprise value. So it won't reflect the advantage of cash, or disadvantage of debt. 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 spending might be good or bad, overall, but the key point here is that you need to look at debt to understand the P/E ratio in context.
So What Does Acadian Timber's Balance Sheet Tell Us?
Acadian Timber's net debt equates to 34% of its market capitalization. You'd want to be aware of this fact, but it doesn't bother us.
The Bottom Line On Acadian Timber's P/E Ratio
Acadian Timber has a P/E of 15.6. That's around the same as the average in the CA market, which is 15.3. With modest debt, and a lack of recent growth, it would seem the market is expecting improvement in earnings.
Investors have an opportunity when market expectations about a stock are wrong. As value investor Benjamin Graham famously said, 'In the short run, the market is a voting machine but in the long run, it is a weighing machine. So this free visualization of the analyst consensus on future earnings could help you make the right decision about whether to buy, sell, or hold.
But note: Acadian Timber may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a P/E ratio below 20).
If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.
We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.
