Yahoo Finance Does Manulife Financial Corporation's (TSE:MFC) P/E Ratio Signal A Buying Opportunity?
Today, we'll introduce the concept of the P/E ratio for those who are learning about investing. We'll apply a basic P/E ratio analysis to Manulife Financial Corporation's (TSE:MFC), to help you decide if the stock is worth further research. Looking at earnings over the last twelve months, Manulife Financial has a P/E ratio of 8.91. That is equivalent to an earnings yield of about 11.2%.
See our latest analysis for Manulife Financial
How Do I Calculate Manulife Financial's Price To Earnings Ratio?
The formula for P/E is:
Price to Earnings Ratio = Share Price ÷ Earnings per Share (EPS)
Or for Manulife Financial:
P/E of 8.91 = CA$25.47 ÷ CA$2.86 (Based on the year to June 2019.)
Is A High Price-to-Earnings Ratio Good?
A higher P/E ratio means that investors are paying a higher price for each CA$1 of company earnings. All else being equal, it's better to pay a low price -- but as Warren Buffett said, 'It's far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price.
How Does Manulife Financial's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?
The P/E ratio indicates whether the market has higher or lower expectations of a company. The image below shows that Manulife Financial has a lower P/E than the average (13.5) P/E for companies in the insurance industry.
This suggests that market participants think Manulife Financial will underperform other companies in its industry. While current expectations are low, the stock could be undervalued if the situation is better than the market assumes. It is arguably worth checking if insiders are buying shares, because that might imply they believe the stock is undervalued.
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. When earnings grow, the 'E' increases, over time. And in that case, the P/E ratio itself will drop rather quickly. So while a stock may look expensive based on past earnings, it could be cheap based on future earnings.
Manulife Financial's earnings made like a rocket, taking off 188% last year. Even better, EPS is up 31% per year over three years. So you might say it really deserves to have an above-average P/E ratio.
Don't Forget: The P/E Does Not Account For Debt or Bank Deposits
The 'Price' in P/E reflects the market capitalization of the company. 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.
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.
So What Does Manulife Financial's Balance Sheet Tell Us?
With net cash of CA$12b, Manulife Financial has a very strong balance sheet, which may be important for its business. Having said that, at 24% of its market capitalization the cash hoard would contribute towards a higher P/E ratio.
The Bottom Line On Manulife Financial's P/E Ratio
Manulife Financial has a P/E of 8.9. That's below the average in the CA market, which is 14.2. Not only should the net cash position reduce risk, but the recent growth has been impressive. One might conclude that the market is a bit pessimistic, given the low P/E ratio.
Investors should be looking to buy stocks that the market is wrong about. 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.
But note: Manulife Financial may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a P/E ratio 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.
