Yahoo Finance Does Pentair plc's (NYSE:PNR) P/E Ratio Signal A Buying Opportunity?
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This article is written for those who want to get better at using price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). To keep it practical, we'll show how Pentair plc's (NYSE:PNR) P/E ratio could help you assess the value on offer. Looking at earnings over the last twelve months, Pentair has a P/E ratio of 20.91. That means that at current prices, buyers pay $20.91 for every $1 in trailing yearly profits.
View our latest analysis for Pentair
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 Pentair:
P/E of 20.91 = $37.96 ÷ $1.82 (Based on the year to March 2019.)
Is A High P/E Ratio Good?
A higher P/E ratio means that buyers have to pay a higher price for each $1 the company has earned over the last year. 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 Does Pentair'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. You can see in the image below that the average P/E (21.3) for companies in the machinery industry is roughly the same as Pentair's P/E.
That indicates that the market expects Pentair will perform roughly in line with other companies in its industry. So if Pentair actually outperforms its peers going forward, that should be a positive for the share price. Checking factors such as director buying and selling. could help you form your own view on if that will happen.
How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios
If earnings fall then in the future the 'E' will be lower. That means unless the share price falls, the P/E will increase in a few years. Then, a higher P/E might scare off shareholders, pushing the share price down.
Pentair's earnings made like a rocket, taking off 106% last year. Regrettably, the longer term performance is poor, with EPS down 9.2% per year over 5 years.
Remember: P/E Ratios Don't Consider The Balance Sheet
Don't forget that the P/E ratio considers market capitalization. So it won't reflect the advantage of cash, or disadvantage of debt. The exact same company would hypothetically deserve a higher P/E ratio if it had a strong balance sheet, than if it had a weak one with lots of debt, because a cashed up company can spend on growth.
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.
So What Does Pentair's Balance Sheet Tell Us?
Pentair has net debt worth 20% of its market capitalization. This could bring some additional risk, and reduce the number of investment options for management; worth remembering if you compare its P/E to businesses without debt.
The Bottom Line On Pentair's P/E Ratio
Pentair trades on a P/E ratio of 20.9, which is above its market average of 18. The company is not overly constrained by its modest debt levels, and its recent EPS growth is nothing short of stand-out. So on this analysis a high P/E ratio seems reasonable.
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 report on the analyst consensus forecasts could help you make a master move on this stock.
You might be able to find a better buy than Pentair. If you want a selection of possible winners, check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a P/E below 20 (but have proven they can grow earnings).
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.
