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Does Design Hotels AG's (FRA:LBA) P/E Ratio Signal A Buying Opportunity?

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 Design Hotels AG's (FRA:LBA) P/E ratio to inform your assessment of the investment opportunity. Based on the last twelve months, Design Hotels's P/E ratio is 20.29. That means that at current prices, buyers pay €20.29 for every €1 in trailing yearly profits.

See our latest analysis for Design Hotels

How Do You Calculate A P/E Ratio?

The formula for price to earnings is:

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

Or for Design Hotels:

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P/E of 20.29 = €5.15 ÷ €0.25 (Based on the year to December 2018.)

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 is not a good or a bad thing per se, but a high P/E does imply buyers are optimistic about the future.

Does Design Hotels 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. You can see in the image below that the average P/E (20.3) for companies in the media industry is roughly the same as Design Hotels's P/E.

DB:LBA Price Estimation Relative to Market, August 29th 2019
DB:LBA Price Estimation Relative to Market, August 29th 2019

Design Hotels's P/E tells us that market participants think its prospects are roughly in line with its industry. So if Design Hotels actually outperforms its peers going forward, that should be a positive for the share price. I would further inform my view by checking insider buying and selling., among other things.

How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios

Earnings growth rates have a big influence on P/E ratios. That's because companies that grow earnings per share quickly will rapidly increase the 'E' in the equation. And in that case, the P/E ratio itself will drop rather quickly. Then, a lower P/E should attract more buyers, pushing the share price up.

Design Hotels increased earnings per share by an impressive 21% over the last twelve months. And it has bolstered its earnings per share by 22% per year over the last five years. So one might expect an above average P/E ratio.

Remember: P/E Ratios Don't Consider The Balance Sheet

One drawback of using a P/E ratio is that it considers market capitalization, but not the balance sheet. In other words, it does not consider any debt or cash that the company may have on the balance sheet. Hypothetically, a company could reduce its future P/E ratio by spending its cash (or taking on debt) to achieve higher earnings.

While growth expenditure doesn't always pay off, the point is that it is a good option to have; but one that the P/E ratio ignores.

Design Hotels's Balance Sheet

The extra options and safety that comes with Design Hotels's €1.4m net cash position means that it deserves a higher P/E than it would if it had a lot of net debt.

The Verdict On Design Hotels's P/E Ratio

Design Hotels's P/E is 20.3 which is above average (18.4) in its market. Its net cash position supports a higher P/E ratio, as does its solid recent earnings growth. Therefore it seems reasonable that the market would have relatively high expectations of the company

Investors should be looking to buy stocks that the market is wrong about. 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.' Although we don't have analyst forecasts, you could get a better understanding of its growth by checking out this more detailed historical graph of earnings, revenue and cash flow.

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.