Here's What Southside Bancshares, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:SBSI) P/E Is Telling Us

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 Southside Bancshares, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:SBSI) P/E ratio to inform your assessment of the investment opportunity. Southside Bancshares has a P/E ratio of 16.46, based on the last twelve months. That means that at current prices, buyers pay $16.46 for every $1 in trailing yearly profits.

See our latest analysis for Southside Bancshares

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 Southside Bancshares:

P/E of 16.46 = USD36.16 ÷ USD2.20 (Based on the year to September 2019.)

Is A High P/E Ratio Good?

A higher P/E ratio means that buyers have to pay a higher price for each USD1 the company has earned over the last year. 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 Southside Bancshares's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?

The P/E ratio essentially measures market expectations of a company. The image below shows that Southside Bancshares has a higher P/E than the average (12.6) P/E for companies in the banks industry.

That means that the market expects Southside Bancshares will outperform other companies in its industry. Clearly the market expects growth, but it isn't guaranteed. So investors should delve deeper. I like to check if company insiders have been buying or selling.

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. Therefore, even if you pay a high multiple of earnings now, that multiple will become lower in the future. Then, a lower P/E should attract more buyers, pushing the share price up.

Southside Bancshares increased earnings per share by an impressive 12% over the last twelve months. And earnings per share have improved by 4.8% annually, over the last five years. So one might expect an above average P/E ratio.

A Limitation: P/E Ratios Ignore Debt and Cash In The Bank

One drawback of using a P/E ratio is that it considers market capitalization, but not the balance sheet. So it won't reflect the advantage of cash, or disadvantage of debt. Hypothetically, a company could reduce its future P/E ratio by spending its cash (or taking on debt) to achieve higher earnings.

Such spending might be good or bad, overall, but the key point here is that you need to look at debt to understand the P/E ratio in context.

How Does Southside Bancshares's Debt Impact Its P/E Ratio?

Net debt totals 84% of Southside Bancshares's market cap. This is a reasonably significant level of debt -- all else being equal you'd expect a much lower P/E than if it had net cash.

The Verdict On Southside Bancshares's P/E Ratio

Southside Bancshares trades on a P/E ratio of 16.5, which is below the US market average of 18.3. While the EPS growth last year was strong, the significant debt levels reduce the number of options available to management. If it continues to grow, then the current low P/E may prove to be unjustified.

When the market is wrong about a stock, it gives savvy investors an opportunity. 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 report on the analyst consensus forecasts could help you make a master move on this stock.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates. So take a peek at this free list of companies with modest (or no) debt, trading on a P/E 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.

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