Is Columbia Sportswear Company's (NASDAQ:COLM) High P/E Ratio A Problem For Investors?
Today, we'll introduce the concept of the P/E ratio for those who are learning about investing. We'll look at Columbia Sportswear Company's (NASDAQ:COLM) P/E ratio and reflect on what it tells us about the company's share price. Columbia Sportswear has a P/E ratio of 22.35, based on the last twelve months. In other words, at today's prices, investors are paying $22.35 for every $1 in prior year profit.
See our latest analysis for Columbia Sportswear
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 Columbia Sportswear:
P/E of 22.35 = $101.13 ÷ $4.53 (Based on the year to June 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 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.
How Does Columbia Sportswear'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. As you can see below, Columbia Sportswear has a higher P/E than the average company (17.8) in the luxury industry.
Its relatively high P/E ratio indicates that Columbia Sportswear shareholders think it will perform better than other companies in its industry classification. Shareholders are clearly optimistic, but the future is always uncertain. So further research is always essential. I often monitor director buying and selling.
How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios
Earnings growth rates have a big influence on P/E ratios. Earnings growth means that in the future the 'E' will be higher. Therefore, even if you pay a high multiple of earnings now, that multiple will become lower in the future. So while a stock may look expensive based on past earnings, it could be cheap based on future earnings.
Columbia Sportswear's 134% EPS improvement over the last year was like bamboo growth after rain; rapid and impressive. The cherry on top is that the five year growth rate was an impressive 24% 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.
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.
Columbia Sportswear's Balance Sheet
Columbia Sportswear has net cash of US$524m. That should lead to a higher P/E than if it did have debt, because its strong balance sheets gives it more options.
The Bottom Line On Columbia Sportswear's P/E Ratio
Columbia Sportswear trades on a P/E ratio of 22.3, which is above its market average of 18.2. Its net cash position is the cherry on top of its superb EPS growth. So based on this analysis we'd expect Columbia Sportswear to have a high P/E ratio.
Investors should be looking to buy stocks that the market is wrong about. People often underestimate remarkable growth -- so investors can make money when fast growth is not fully appreciated. 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.
Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates. So take a peek at this free list of companies with modest (or no) debt, trading on a P/E below 20.
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.
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. Thank you for reading.
