Why would investors intentionally choose stocks with high PE ratios?
Investors may intentionally choose stocks with high price/earnings (P/E) ratios because they expect these stocks' earnings to grow quickly.
Investors are willing to purchase stocks having high P/E ratios because: they expect these shares to have greater growth opportunities. If investors believe a company will have the opportunity to make very profitable investments in the future, they will pay more for the company's stock today.
A high P/E ratio can be a good indicator of a company with good growth prospects. However, it is not enough to look at the P/E ratio alone. Ensure that you analyze the financials and fundamentals of the company and its competition to determine its growth prospects. This can help you make a more informed decision.
Price to earnings ratio, or P/E, is a way to value a company by comparing the price of a stock to its earnings. The P/E equals the price of a share of stock, divided by the company's earnings-per-share. It tells you how much you are paying for each dollar of earnings.
Many investors say buying shares in companies with a lower P/E ratio is better because you are paying less for every dollar of earnings. A lower P/E ratio is like a lower price tag, making it attractive to investors looking for a bargain.
Significance of PE ratio
If the share price grows much faster than the earnings growth then PE ratio becomes high. If the share price falls much faster than earnings, the PE ratio becomes low. A high PE ratio means that a stock is expensive and its price may fall in the future.
Key Takeaways
Whether a company's P/E is a good valuation depends on how that valuation compares to companies in the same industry. Be wary of stocks sporting high P/E ratios during an economic boom since they could be overvalued.
Price Earnings (P/E) ratio is one of the most popular ways of valuing a stock. The thumb rule is that a low P/E ratio is a sign of undervaluation while a high P/E ratio is a sign of overvaluation. But such an approach of purely using P/E Ratio to Value a stock is fraught with risks.
A low PE ratio would indicate that investors are not willing to pay a high price for the shares of the company. You don't want to be paying Rs 2,000 for every Rs 100 earned, so the lower the PE ratio, the better. This is not to say you should completely avoid stocks with a high PE ratio.
P/E Ratio or Price to Earnings Ratio is the ratio of the current price of a company's share in relation to its earnings per share (EPS).
How do you use PE ratio in investing strategy?
You can use a P/E ratio to compare a company's cost to that of the broader market or against its peers in the same sector. If, for example, you had one company trading with a P/E ratio of 10 and another with a P/E of 20, you'd say that the lower P/E indicated a cheaper stock.
The P/E ratio is calculated by dividing the market value price per share by the company's earnings per share. A high P/E ratio can mean that a stock's price is high relative to earnings and possibly overvalued. A low P/E ratio might indicate that the current stock price is low relative to earnings.
Low PE ratio stocks can be an attractive valuation opportunity. Low PE stocks in India can indicate that the stock is trading at a discount relative to its peers or the broader market, making it an attractive purchase opportunity.
The price-to-earning ratio or P/E ratio is one of the most widely used and accepted metrics by investors and analysts to determine the stock valuation. It shows if the stock of a company is undervalued or overvalued, along with the comparison of the valuation with the benchmark or industry peers.
If investors are excited about the prospects for a given company, they may be willing to accept a higher P/E ratio in order to buy its shares. On the other end of the spectrum, if investors feel that future earnings will be underwhelming, a stock's P/E ratio may languish at a relatively low level.
The PE ratio for Amazon Com stock stands at 59.13 as of Mar 15, 2024. This is calculated based on the TTM EPS of $2.95 and the stock price of $174.42 per share. A decrease of 50% has been observed in the PE ratio compared to its average of 117.8 of the past four quarters.
In May 2009, the P/E ratio reached a staggering 123.73x, the highest ratio in United States history. This was primarily due to the depressed earnings during the “Great Recession” and has been the only instance since 1970 in which the P/E ratio reached triple digits.
Understanding the P/E ratio can help you make informed investment decisions. In Chapter 14 of the Intelligent Investor, the father of value investing, Ben Graham, said never pay more than 15 times earnings to buy a stock.
Growth stocks are those companies expected to grow sales and earnings at a faster rate than the market average. Growth stocks often look expensive, trading at a high P/E ratio, but such valuations could actually be cheap if the company continues to grow rapidly which will drive the share price up.
High P/E Ratio
This may or may not necessarily be a problem. A high P/E ratio could mean that the market is undervaluing a particular stock. If this is the case, then the value could soon increase. High P/E ratios must also be interpreted within the context of the entire industry.
Are PE ratios high right now?
Basic Info. S&P 500 P/E Ratio Forward Estimate is at a current level of 20.49, down from 21.17 last quarter and down from 23.57 one year ago. This is a change of -3.21% from last quarter and -13.05% from one year ago.
A P/E ratio of 200 is high. But it is basically saying that people expect the company to grow earnings to be 15 to 20 times as large as they are now (so the P/E ratio would be 10 to 15). If you don't think that the company has that kind of potential, don't invest.
A company with a higher forward P/E ratio than the industry or market average indicates an expectation the company is likely to experience a significant amount of growth. If a company's stock fails to meet the high ratio value with increased per-share earnings, the price of the stock will fall.
# | Name | P/E ratio |
---|---|---|
1 | Adial Pharmaceuticals 1ADIL | 0.1084 |
2 | Kuuhubb 2KUU.V | 0.1429 |
3 | Performance Shipping 3PSHG | 0.2247 |
4 | Spin Master 4TOY.TO | 0.2408 |
Basic Info
S&P 500 P/E Ratio is at a current level of 23.27, down from 24.59 last quarter and up from 19.17 one year ago. This is a change of -5.34% from last quarter and 21.43% from one year ago.
References
- https://www.smallcase.com/collections/low-pe-ratio-stocks/
- https://www.investors.com/how-to-invest/investors-corner/how-to-build-long-term-profits-in-stocks-take-many-gains-at-20-25/
- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/copy-mastering-4-golden-rules-investment-guide-edward-standley-qydre
- https://www.angelone.in/blog/why-is-p-e-ratio-important-for-investors
- https://www.datarails.com/5-key-financial-ratios/
- https://www.motilaloswal.com/blog-details/how-long-does-it-take-to-make-money-in-the-stock-market/20886
- https://www.commbank.com.au/articles/investing/understanding-the-pe-ratio.html
- https://www.rocketmortgage.com/learn/1-rule-real-estate
- https://ycharts.com/indicators/sp_500_pe_ratio_forward_estimate
- https://www.theforage.com/blog/skills/quick-ratio
- https://fortune.com/recommends/investing/golden-rules-of-investing/
- https://www.valuescopeinc.com/resources/white-papers/the-sp-500-pe-ratio-a-historical-perspective/
- https://www.miraeassetmf.co.in/knowledge-center/what-is-pe-ratio
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/genius-ways-1-000-month-105500970.html
- https://fullratio.com/stocks/nasdaq-amzn/pe-ratio
- https://www.kotaksecurities.com/share-market/10-golden-rules-of-investing-in-stock-market/
- https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/currentratio.asp
- https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/what-3-day-rule-when-trading-stocks-2016-05-19
- https://www.sofi.com/learn/content/70-20-10-rule/
- https://www.superfastcpa.com/what-is-a-common-stock-ratio/
- https://quizlet.com/243039546/fn-chapter-7-flash-cards/
- https://www.wsj.com/buyside/personal-finance/saving-vs-investing-01657732972
- https://www.bankrate.com/investing/when-to-sell-stock/
- https://groww.in/blog/things-to-keep-in-mind-before-investing-in-high-pe-stocks
- https://www.drwealth.com/8-key-financial-ratios-that-value-investors-absolutely-must-know/
- https://www.saponelaw.com/blog/2022/03/what-is-illegal-property-flipping/
- https://www.fool.com/investing/how-to-invest/stocks/how-many-shares-buy-stock/
- https://money.stackexchange.com/questions/91749/at-which-p-e-ratio-can-a-stock-be-considered-overvalued
- https://www.financestrategists.com/wealth-management/accounting-ratios/pe-ratio/limitations-of-pe-ratio/
- https://www.investopedia.com/investing/use-pe-ratio-and-peg-to-tell-stocks-future/
- https://www.ig.com/en/trading-strategies/how-to-tell-if-stocks-are-overvalued-210804
- https://companiesmarketcap.com/top-companies-by-pe-ratio/
- https://www.investopedia.com/investing/can-you-make-money-stocks/
- https://www.fool.com/investing/stock-market/types-of-stocks/value-stocks/value-investing-guide/
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/40-30-20-10-rule-132128106.html
- https://www.citizensbank.com/learning/50-30-20-budget.aspx
- https://ycharts.com/indicators/sp_500_pe_ratio
- https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/050515/what-does-forward-pe-indicate-about-company.asp
- https://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/tenthingstoconsider.htm
- https://paytm.com/blog/investment/know-the-right-percentage-of-your-salary-for-investments/
- https://www.netsuite.com/portal/resource/articles/financial-management/quick-ratio.shtml
- https://smartasset.com/taxes/how-to-avoid-capital-gains-tax-on-stocks
- https://money.com/best-time-to-buy-stocks/
- https://blog.dspim.com/pick-right-stocks-using-pe-ratio-and-eps
- https://bullishbears.com/best-time-of-day-to-trade-stocks/
- https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/022916/what-502030-budget-rule.asp
- https://gocardless.com/en-us/guides/posts/top-7-financial-ratios/
- https://lyonswealth.com/blog-details/how-much-money-do-i-need-to-invest-to-make-3000
- https://www.schwab.com/learn/story/stock-analysis-using-pe-ratio
- https://www.fca.org.uk/investsmart/golden-rules-investing
- https://www.motilaloswal.com/blog-details/how-and-why-to-avoid-the-p-e-ratio-trap/1202
- https://www.vectorvest.com/blog/market-timing/can-you-buy-and-sell-stock-on-the-same-day/
- https://www.investors.com/how-to-invest/investors-corner/how-to-sit-tight-in-great-stocks-how-long-should-you-hold-your-winners/
- https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/121815/buffetts-9010-asset-allocation-sound.asp
- https://www.phocassoftware.com/resources/blog/important-financial-ratios-for-your-company
- https://www.schwab.com/learn/story/how-to-tell-good-stock-from-bad-stock
- https://www.chase.com/personal/mortgage/education/buying-a-home/brrrr-method
- https://www.poems.com.sg/glossary/trading-terms/trade-sizing/
- https://www.freshbooks.com/blog/profitability-ratios
- https://stocksdownunder.com/article/the-3-best-months-to-buy-stocks/
- https://smartasset.com/investing/investing-200-a-month-how-much-will-you-make
- https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/investment-ratio
- https://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/rule-of-70.asp
- https://www.schwab.com/learn/story/five-key-financial-ratios-stock-analysis
- https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/accounting/financial-ratios/
- https://www.cnbc.com/select/how-much-of-your-income-should-go-toward-investing/
- https://www.advisorperspectives.com/commentaries/2023/12/01/investors-should-not-pay-more15-pe-ratio-when-buying-stock-ben-graham
- https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/050115/what-are-some-reallife-examples-8020-rule-pareto-principle-practice.asp
- https://www.wealthsimple.com/en-ca/learn/current-ratio-explanation-&-example
- https://www.accountingtools.com/articles/rule-of-69
- https://www.investors.com/how-to-invest/investors-corner/how-much-money-do-you-need-to-start-investing/
- https://www.titan.com/articles/can-you-buy-and-sell-stock-the-same-day
- https://www.angelone.in/knowledge-center/share-market/how-long-should-you-hold-a-stock
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/investing/how-to-buy-stocks
- https://www.unfcu.org/financial-wellness/50-30-20-rule/
- https://groww.in/p/pe-ratio
- https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/price-earningsratio.asp
- https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/growthstock.asp
- https://www.schwab.com/learn/story/what-is-pe-ratio
- https://www.investopedia.com/articles/fundamental-analysis/10/should-you-trust-pe-ratios.asp
- https://www.bankrate.com/real-estate/70-percent-rule-house-flipping/
- https://fortune.com/recommends/investing/how-much-of-your-income-should-go-toward-investing/
- https://localfirstbank.com/article/how-much-money-should-i-have-saved-by-the-time-i-am-30/