Do You Like Österreichische Post AG (VIE:POST) At This P/E Ratio?
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This article is written for those who want to get better at using price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). We'll look at Österreichische Post AG's (VIE:POST) P/E ratio and reflect on what it tells us about the company's share price. Österreichische Post has a P/E ratio of 14.01, based on the last twelve months. That is equivalent to an earnings yield of about 7.1%.
View our latest analysis for Österreichische Post
How Do I Calculate A Price To Earnings Ratio?
The formula for P/E is:
Price to Earnings Ratio = Share Price ÷ Earnings per Share (EPS)
Or for Österreichische Post:
P/E of 14.01 = €30.1 ÷ €2.15 (Based on the year 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 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 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. That means unless the share price increases, the P/E will reduce in a few years. So while a stock may look expensive based on past earnings, it could be cheap based on future earnings.
Österreichische Post saw earnings per share decrease by 13% last year. But over the longer term (5 years) earnings per share have increased by 3.8%.
Does Österreichische Post Have A Relatively High Or Low P/E For Its Industry?
The P/E ratio indicates whether the market has higher or lower expectations of a company. The image below shows that Österreichische Post has a lower P/E than the average (16.8) P/E for companies in the logistics industry.
Its relatively low P/E ratio indicates that Österreichische Post shareholders think it will struggle to do as well as other companies in its industry classification. Many investors like to buy stocks when the market is pessimistic about their prospects. It is arguably worth checking if insiders are buying shares, because that might imply they believe the stock is undervalued.
A Limitation: P/E Ratios Ignore Debt and Cash In The Bank
It's important to note that the P/E ratio considers the market capitalization, not the enterprise value. In other words, it does not consider any debt or cash that the company may have on the balance sheet. In theory, a company can lower its future P/E ratio by using cash or debt to invest in 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.
Österreichische Post's Balance Sheet
Since Österreichische Post holds net cash of €120m, it can spend on growth, justifying a higher P/E ratio than otherwise.
The Verdict On Österreichische Post's P/E Ratio
Österreichische Post has a P/E of 14. That's around the same as the average in the AT market, which is 14.5. Although the recent drop in earnings per share would keep the market cautious, the relatively strong balance sheet will allow the company to weather a storm; so it isn't very surprising to see that it has a P/E ratio close to the market average.
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 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.
