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What Does Eagle Bancorp Montana, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:EBMT) P/E Ratio Tell You?

The goal of this article is to teach you how to use price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). We'll apply a basic P/E ratio analysis to Eagle Bancorp Montana, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:EBMT), to help you decide if the stock is worth further research. Looking at earnings over the last twelve months, Eagle Bancorp Montana has a P/E ratio of 13.87. That means that at current prices, buyers pay $13.87 for every $1 in trailing yearly profits.

Check out our latest analysis for Eagle Bancorp Montana

How Do I Calculate A Price To Earnings Ratio?

The formula for price to earnings is:

Price to Earnings Ratio = Share Price ÷ Earnings per Share (EPS)

Or for Eagle Bancorp Montana:

P/E of 13.87 = $17.50 ÷ $1.26 (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2019.)

Is A High Price-to-Earnings Ratio Good?

A higher P/E ratio means that investors are paying a higher price for each $1 of company earnings. That is not a good or a bad thing per se, but a high P/E does imply buyers are optimistic about the future.

Does Eagle Bancorp Montana Have A Relatively High Or Low P/E For Its Industry?

The P/E ratio essentially measures market expectations of a company. The image below shows that Eagle Bancorp Montana has a higher P/E than the average (12.5) P/E for companies in the banks industry.

NasdaqGM:EBMT Price Estimation Relative to Market, October 1st 2019
NasdaqGM:EBMT Price Estimation Relative to Market, October 1st 2019

Its relatively high P/E ratio indicates that Eagle Bancorp Montana 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

Probably the most important factor in determining what P/E a company trades on is the earnings growth. That's because companies that grow earnings per share quickly will rapidly increase the 'E' in the equation. And in that case, the P/E ratio itself will drop rather quickly. So while a stock may look expensive based on past earnings, it could be cheap based on future earnings.

It's nice to see that Eagle Bancorp Montana grew EPS by a stonking 47% in the last year. And earnings per share have improved by 19% annually, over the last five years. So we'd generally expect it to have a relatively high P/E ratio.

Remember: P/E Ratios Don't Consider The Balance Sheet

The 'Price' in P/E reflects the market capitalization of the company. Thus, the metric does not reflect cash or debt held by the company. 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.

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 Eagle Bancorp Montana's Balance Sheet Tell Us?

Eagle Bancorp Montana has net debt worth a very significant 107% of its market capitalization. This is a relatively high level of debt, so the stock probably deserves a relatively low P/E ratio. Keep that in mind when comparing it to other companies.

The Bottom Line On Eagle Bancorp Montana's P/E Ratio

Eagle Bancorp Montana trades on a P/E ratio of 13.9, which is below the US market average of 17.8. While the EPS growth last year was strong, the significant debt levels reduce the number of options available to management. If it continues to grow, then the current low P/E may prove to be unjustified.

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.

You might be able to find a better buy than Eagle Bancorp Montana. If you want a selection of possible winners, check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a P/E below 20 (but have proven they can grow earnings).

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.

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