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Read This Before You Buy Arvida Group Limited (NZSE:ARV) Because Of Its P/E Ratio

The goal of this article is to teach you how to use price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). We'll look at Arvida Group Limited's (NZSE:ARV) P/E ratio and reflect on what it tells us about the company's share price. Arvida Group has a P/E ratio of 9.74, based on the last twelve months. That means that at current prices, buyers pay NZ$9.74 for every NZ$1 in trailing yearly profits.

See our latest analysis for Arvida Group

How Do I Calculate A Price To Earnings Ratio?

The formula for price to earnings is:

Price to Earnings Ratio = Share Price ÷ Earnings per Share (EPS)

Or for Arvida Group:

P/E of 9.74 = NZ$1.39 ÷ NZ$0.14 (Based on the year to March 2019.)

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 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 Does Arvida Group's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?

One good way to get a quick read on what market participants expect of a company is to look at its P/E ratio. The image below shows that Arvida Group has a lower P/E than the average (13.5) P/E for companies in the healthcare industry.

NZSE:ARV Price Estimation Relative to Market, August 17th 2019
NZSE:ARV Price Estimation Relative to Market, August 17th 2019

This suggests that market participants think Arvida Group will underperform other companies in its 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.

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. Therefore, even if you pay a high multiple of earnings now, that multiple will become lower in the future. So while a stock may look expensive based on past earnings, it could be cheap based on future earnings.

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Arvida Group's earnings per share fell by 8.1% in the last twelve months. But over the longer term (3 years), earnings per share have increased by 16%.

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. Theoretically, a business can improve its earnings (and produce a lower P/E in the future) by investing in growth. That means taking on debt (or spending its cash).

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).

Is Debt Impacting Arvida Group's P/E?

Net debt is 25% of Arvida Group's market cap. You'd want to be aware of this fact, but it doesn't bother us.

The Bottom Line On Arvida Group's P/E Ratio

Arvida Group trades on a P/E ratio of 9.7, which is below the NZ market average of 18.4. With only modest debt, it's likely the lack of EPS growth at least partially explains the pessimism implied by the P/E ratio.

When the market is wrong about a stock, it gives savvy investors an opportunity. If it is underestimating a company, investors can make money by buying and holding the shares until the market corrects itself. 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 Arvida Group. 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.