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A Rising Share Price Has Us Looking Closely At Enghouse Systems Limited's (TSE:ENGH) P/E Ratio

It's really great to see that even after a strong run, Enghouse Systems (TSE:ENGH) shares have been powering on, with a gain of 31% in the last thirty days. The full year gain of 45% is pretty reasonable, too.

Assuming no other changes, a sharply higher share price makes a stock less attractive to potential buyers. While the market sentiment towards a stock is very changeable, in the long run, the share price will tend to move in the same direction as earnings per share. So some would prefer to hold off buying when there is a lot of optimism towards a stock. Perhaps the simplest way to get a read on investors' expectations of a business is to look at its Price to Earnings Ratio (PE Ratio). A high P/E ratio means that investors have a high expectation about future growth, while a low P/E ratio means they have low expectations about future growth.

See our latest analysis for Enghouse Systems

How Does Enghouse Systems's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?

Enghouse Systems's P/E of 40.10 indicates some degree of optimism towards the stock. As you can see below, Enghouse Systems has a higher P/E than the average company (20.6) in the software industry.

TSX:ENGH Price Estimation Relative to Market, January 12th 2020
TSX:ENGH Price Estimation Relative to Market, January 12th 2020

Its relatively high P/E ratio indicates that Enghouse Systems shareholders think it will perform better than other companies in its industry classification. 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.

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. And in that case, the P/E ratio itself will drop rather quickly. And as that P/E ratio drops, the company will look cheap, unless its share price increases.

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It's great to see that Enghouse Systems grew EPS by 22% in the last year. And it has bolstered its earnings per share by 18% per year over the last five years. So one might expect 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. Thus, the metric does not reflect cash or debt held by the company. Hypothetically, a company could reduce its future P/E ratio by spending its cash (or taking on debt) to achieve higher earnings.

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).

So What Does Enghouse Systems's Balance Sheet Tell Us?

Since Enghouse Systems holds net cash of CA$149m, it can spend on growth, justifying a higher P/E ratio than otherwise.

The Verdict On Enghouse Systems's P/E Ratio

Enghouse Systems trades on a P/E ratio of 40.1, which is above its market average of 15.9. Its strong balance sheet gives the company plenty of resources for extra growth, and it has already proven it can grow. So it does not seem strange that the P/E is above average. What is very clear is that the market has become significantly more optimistic about Enghouse Systems over the last month, with the P/E ratio rising from 30.6 back then to 40.1 today. For those who prefer to invest with the flow of momentum, that might mean it's time to put the stock on a watchlist, or research it. But the contrarian may see it as a missed opportunity.

Investors should be looking to buy stocks that the market is wrong about. If the reality for a company is better than it expects, you can make money by buying and holding for the long term. 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 Enghouse Systems. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have grown earnings strongly.

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.

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. Thank you for reading.