Should You Be Tempted To Sell Croda International Plc (LON:CRDA) Because Of Its P/E Ratio?
This article is for investors who would like to improve their understanding of price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). We’ll look at Croda International Plc’s (LON:CRDA) P/E ratio and reflect on what it tells us about the company’s share price. Based on the last twelve months, Croda International’s P/E ratio is 26.99. In other words, at today’s prices, investors are paying £26.99 for every £1 in prior year profit.
View our latest analysis for Croda International
How Do You Calculate A P/E Ratio?
The formula for P/E is:
Price to Earnings Ratio = Share Price ÷ Earnings per Share (EPS)
Or for Croda International:
P/E of 26.99 = £48.96 ÷ £1.81 (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2018.)
Is A High Price-to-Earnings Ratio Good?
A higher P/E ratio implies that investors pay a higher price for the earning power of the business. 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 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. Therefore, even if you pay a high multiple of earnings now, that multiple will become lower in the future. Then, a lower P/E should attract more buyers, pushing the share price up.
Croda International’s earnings per share were pretty steady over the last year. But over the longer term (5 years) earnings per share have increased by 8.5%.
How Does Croda International’s P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?
We can get an indication of market expectations by looking at the P/E ratio. You can see in the image below that the average P/E (24.9) for companies in the chemicals industry is lower than Croda International’s P/E.
Croda International’s P/E tells us that market participants think the company will perform better than its industry peers, going forward. Clearly the market expects growth, but it isn’t guaranteed. So investors should always consider the P/E ratio alongside other factors, such as whether company directors have been buying shares.
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. That means it doesn’t take debt or cash into account. Theoretically, a business can improve its earnings (and produce a lower P/E in the future), by taking on debt (or spending its remaining cash).
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.
Is Debt Impacting Croda International’s P/E?
Croda International has net debt worth just 6.6% of its market capitalization. So it doesn’t have as many options as it would with net cash, but its debt would not have much of an impact on its P/E ratio.
The Verdict On Croda International’s P/E Ratio
Croda International has a P/E of 27. That’s higher than the average in the GB market, which is 15.7. Given the debt is only modest, and earnings are already moving in the right direction, it’s not surprising that the market expects continued improvement.
When the market is wrong about a stock, it gives savvy investors an opportunity. 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 visual report on analyst forecasts could hold the key to an excellent investment decision.
Of course you might be able to find a better stock than Croda International. 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.
