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Do You Like ICON Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:ICLR) At This P/E Ratio?

This article is for investors who would like to improve their understanding of price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). To keep it practical, we'll show how ICON Public Limited Company's (NASDAQ:ICLR) P/E ratio could help you assess the value on offer. Based on the last twelve months, ICON's P/E ratio is 22.51. That means that at current prices, buyers pay $22.51 for every $1 in trailing yearly profits.

See our latest analysis for ICON

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 ICON:

P/E of 22.51 = $146.89 ÷ $6.53 (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2019.)

Is A High P/E 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. 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.'

How Does ICON's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?

The P/E ratio essentially measures market expectations of a company. We can see in the image below that the average P/E (35.3) for companies in the life sciences industry is higher than ICON's P/E.

NasdaqGS:ICLR Price Estimation Relative to Market, September 11th 2019
NasdaqGS:ICLR Price Estimation Relative to Market, September 11th 2019

This suggests that market participants think ICON will underperform other companies in its industry. Since the market seems unimpressed with ICON, it's quite possible it could surprise on the upside. You should delve deeper. I like to check if company insiders have been buying or selling.

How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios

Earnings growth rates have a big influence on P/E ratios. That's because companies that grow earnings per share quickly will rapidly increase the 'E' in the equation. That means even if the current P/E is high, it will reduce over time if the share price stays flat. And as that P/E ratio drops, the company will look cheap, unless its share price increases.

It's great to see that ICON grew EPS by 20% in the last year. And its annual EPS growth rate over 5 years is 24%. So one might expect an above average 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. 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).

ICON's Balance Sheet

The extra options and safety that comes with ICON's US$82m net cash position means that it deserves a higher P/E than it would if it had a lot of net debt.

The Verdict On ICON's P/E Ratio

ICON trades on a P/E ratio of 22.5, which is above its market average of 18. Its net cash position supports a higher P/E ratio, as does its solid recent earnings growth. Therefore it seems reasonable that the market would have relatively high expectations of the company

Investors should be looking to buy stocks that the market is wrong about. If the reality for a company is better than it expects, you can make money by buying and holding for the long term. 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 ICON. 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.

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