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Why Safety Insurance Group, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:SAFT) High P/E Ratio Isn't Necessarily A Bad Thing

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 Safety Insurance Group, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:SAFT) P/E ratio to inform your assessment of the investment opportunity. What is Safety Insurance Group's P/E ratio? Well, based on the last twelve months it is 12.20. That means that at current prices, buyers pay $12.20 for every $1 in trailing yearly profits.

Check out our latest analysis for Safety Insurance Group

How Do I Calculate A Price To Earnings Ratio?

The formula for price to earnings is:

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

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Or for Safety Insurance Group:

P/E of 12.20 = $79.510 ÷ $6.518 (Based on the year to December 2019.)

(Note: the above calculation results may not be precise due to rounding.)

Is A High Price-to-Earnings Ratio Good?

A higher P/E ratio implies that investors pay a higher price for the earning power of the business. 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'.

Does Safety Insurance Group Have A Relatively High Or Low P/E For Its Industry?

We can get an indication of market expectations by looking at the P/E ratio. As you can see below, Safety Insurance Group has a higher P/E than the average company (9.1) in the insurance industry.

NasdaqGS:SAFT Price Estimation Relative to Market March 27th 2020
NasdaqGS:SAFT Price Estimation Relative to Market March 27th 2020

That means that the market expects Safety Insurance Group will outperform other companies in its industry. The market is optimistic about the future, but that doesn't guarantee future growth. So investors should delve deeper. I like to check if company insiders have been buying or selling.

How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios

Earnings growth rates have a big influence on P/E ratios. 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. And as that P/E ratio drops, the company will look cheap, unless its share price increases.

Most would be impressed by Safety Insurance Group earnings growth of 19% in the last year. And its annual EPS growth rate over 5 years is 11%. So one might expect an above average P/E ratio.

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. Theoretically, a business can improve its earnings (and produce a lower P/E in the future) by investing in growth. That means taking on debt (or spending its cash).

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 Safety Insurance Group's Balance Sheet Tell Us?

The extra options and safety that comes with Safety Insurance Group's US$44m 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 Safety Insurance Group's P/E Ratio

Safety Insurance Group's P/E is 12.2 which is below average (13.4) in the US market. It grew its EPS nicely over the last year, and the healthy balance sheet implies there is more potential for growth. The below average P/E ratio suggests that market participants don't believe the strong 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. We don't have analyst forecasts, but shareholders might want to examine this detailed historical graph of earnings, revenue and cash flow.

But note: Safety Insurance Group 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).

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.