Does Ferro Corporation (NYSE:FOE) Have A Good P/E Ratio?
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Today, we'll introduce the concept of the P/E ratio for those who are learning about investing. To keep it practical, we'll show how Ferro Corporation's (NYSE:FOE) P/E ratio could help you assess the value on offer. Based on the last twelve months, Ferro's P/E ratio is 17.86. That means that at current prices, buyers pay $17.86 for every $1 in trailing yearly profits.
See our latest analysis for Ferro
How Do I Calculate A Price To Earnings Ratio?
The formula for P/E is:
Price to Earnings Ratio = Price per Share ÷ Earnings per Share (EPS)
Or for Ferro:
P/E of 17.86 = $15.04 ÷ $0.84 (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2019.)
Is A High P/E Ratio Good?
The higher the P/E ratio, the higher the price tag of a business, relative to its trailing 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.
How Does Ferro's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?
The P/E ratio indicates whether the market has higher or lower expectations of a company. You can see in the image below that the average P/E (18.6) for companies in the chemicals industry is roughly the same as Ferro's P/E.
Its P/E ratio suggests that Ferro shareholders think that in the future it will perform about the same as other companies in its industry classification. If the company has better than average prospects, then the market might be underestimating it. Further research into factors such as insider buying and selling, could help you form your own view on whether that is likely.
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.
Ferro increased earnings per share by an impressive 21% over the last twelve months. Unfortunately, earnings per share are down 12% a year, over 3 years.
Don't Forget: The P/E Does Not Account For Debt or Bank Deposits
One drawback of using a P/E ratio is that it considers market capitalization, but not the balance sheet. In other words, it does not consider any debt or cash that the company may have on the balance sheet. 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.
While growth expenditure doesn't always pay off, the point is that it is a good option to have; but one that the P/E ratio ignores.
So What Does Ferro's Balance Sheet Tell Us?
Ferro's net debt is 67% of its market cap. If you want to compare its P/E ratio to other companies, you should absolutely keep in mind it has significant borrowings.
The Verdict On Ferro's P/E Ratio
Ferro has a P/E of 17.9. That's around the same as the average in the US market, which is 18. It does have enough debt to add risk, although earnings growth was strong in the last year. The P/E suggests that the market is not convinced EPS will continue to improve strongly.
Investors have an opportunity when market expectations about a stock are wrong. If it is underestimating a company, investors can make money by buying and holding the shares until the market corrects itself. 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 be able to find a better stock than Ferro. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have grown earnings strongly.
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.
