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Don’t Sell Citizens Community Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:CZWI) Before You Read This

This article is written for those who want to get better at using price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). We’ll show how you can use Citizens Community Bancorp, Inc.’s (NASDAQ:CZWI) P/E ratio to inform your assessment of the investment opportunity. Citizens Community Bancorp has a P/E ratio of 20.17, based on the last twelve months. That means that at current prices, buyers pay $20.17 for every $1 in trailing yearly profits.

View our latest analysis for Citizens Community Bancorp

How Do You Calculate A P/E Ratio?

The formula for P/E is:

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

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Or for Citizens Community Bancorp:

P/E of 20.17 = $11.92 ÷ $0.59 (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2018.)

Is A High Price-to-Earnings 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 Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios

Probably the most important factor in determining what P/E a company trades on is the earnings growth. Earnings growth means that in the future the ‘E’ will be higher. That means even if the current P/E is high, it will reduce over time if the share price stays flat. Then, a lower P/E should attract more buyers, pushing the share price up.

Citizens Community Bancorp increased earnings per share by an impressive 12% over the last twelve months. And earnings per share have improved by 13% annually, over the last five years. This could arguably justify a relatively high P/E ratio.

How Does Citizens Community Bancorp’s P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?

We can get an indication of market expectations by looking at the P/E ratio. The image below shows that Citizens Community Bancorp has a higher P/E than the average (15.4) P/E for companies in the mortgage industry.

NasdaqGM:CZWI Price Estimation Relative to Market, March 1st 2019
NasdaqGM:CZWI Price Estimation Relative to Market, March 1st 2019

Citizens Community Bancorp’s P/E tells us that market participants think the company will perform better than its industry peers, going forward. The market is optimistic about the future, but that doesn’t guarantee future growth. So investors should always consider the P/E ratio alongside other factors, such as whether company directors have been buying shares.

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. Thus, the metric does not reflect cash or debt held by the company. In theory, a company can lower its future P/E ratio by using cash or debt to invest in growth.

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).

Citizens Community Bancorp’s Balance Sheet

Citizens Community Bancorp’s net debt is 62% of its market cap. If you want to compare its P/E ratio to other companies, you should absolutely keep in mind it has significant borrowings.

The Bottom Line On Citizens Community Bancorp’s P/E Ratio

Citizens Community Bancorp has a P/E of 20.2. That’s higher than the average in the US market, which is 17.6. It has already proven it can grow earnings, but the debt levels mean it faces some risks. The relatively high P/E ratio suggests shareholders think growth will continue.

Investors have an opportunity when market expectations about a stock are wrong. 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 visual report on analyst forecasts could hold the key to an excellent investment decision.

You might be able to find a better buy than Citizens Community Bancorp. 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.