Read This Before You Buy Home Bancshares, Inc. (Conway, AR) (NASDAQ:HOMB) Because Of Its P/E Ratio
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This article is for investors who would like to improve their understanding of price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). We'll show how you can use Home Bancshares, Inc. (Conway, AR)'s (NASDAQ:HOMB) P/E ratio to inform your assessment of the investment opportunity. Based on the last twelve months, Home Bancshares (Conway AR)'s P/E ratio is 10.61. That is equivalent to an earnings yield of about 9.4%.
Check out our latest analysis for Home Bancshares (Conway AR)
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 Home Bancshares (Conway AR):
P/E of 10.61 = $18.36 ÷ $1.73 (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 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 isn't necessarily good or bad, but a high P/E implies relatively high expectations of what a company can achieve in the future.
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. That means even if the current P/E is high, it will reduce over time if the share price stays flat. Then, a lower P/E should attract more buyers, pushing the share price up.
Home Bancshares (Conway AR)'s earnings made like a rocket, taking off 70% last year. The sweetener is that the annual five year growth rate of 22% is also impressive. So I'd be surprised if the P/E ratio was not above average.
Does Home Bancshares (Conway AR) Have A Relatively High Or Low P/E For Its Industry?
One good way to get a quick read on what market participants expect of a company is to look at its P/E ratio. We can see in the image below that the average P/E (12.7) for companies in the banks industry is higher than Home Bancshares (Conway AR)'s P/E.
Home Bancshares (Conway AR)'s P/E tells us that market participants think it will not fare as well as its peers in the same industry. Many investors like to buy stocks when the market is pessimistic about their prospects. If you consider the stock interesting, further research is recommended. For example, I often monitor director buying and selling.
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. 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.
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).
How Does Home Bancshares (Conway AR)'s Debt Impact Its P/E Ratio?
Net debt is 36% of Home Bancshares (Conway AR)'s market cap. While it's worth keeping this in mind, it isn't a worry.
The Verdict On Home Bancshares (Conway AR)'s P/E Ratio
Home Bancshares (Conway AR) trades on a P/E ratio of 10.6, which is below the US market average of 17.5. The company hasn't stretched its balance sheet, and earnings growth was good last year. If it continues to grow, then the current low P/E may prove to be unjustified.
When the market is wrong about a stock, it gives savvy investors an opportunity. If the reality for a company is not as bad as the P/E ratio indicates, then the share price should increase as the market realizes this. So this free visual report on analyst forecasts could hold the key to an excellent investment decision.
You might be able to find a better buy than Home Bancshares (Conway AR). 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.
