Should We Worry About Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc.'s (NYSE:NUS) P/E Ratio?

This article is for investors who would like to improve their understanding of price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). To keep it practical, we'll show how Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc.'s (NYSE:NUS) P/E ratio could help you assess the value on offer. Nu Skin Enterprises has a price to earnings ratio of 20.30, based on the last twelve months. That means that at current prices, buyers pay $20.30 for every $1 in trailing yearly profits.

Check out our latest analysis for Nu Skin Enterprises

How Do I Calculate A Price To Earnings Ratio?

The formula for P/E is:

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

Or for Nu Skin Enterprises:

P/E of 20.30 = USD42.32 ÷ USD2.08 (Based on the year to September 2019.)

Is A High Price-to-Earnings Ratio Good?

The higher the P/E ratio, the higher the price tag of a business, relative to its trailing earnings. 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 Nu Skin Enterprises's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?

We can get an indication of market expectations by looking at the P/E ratio. You can see in the image below that the average P/E (18.5) for companies in the personal products industry is lower than Nu Skin Enterprises's P/E.

Nu Skin Enterprises'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.

How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios

If earnings fall then in the future the 'E' will be lower. That means even if the current P/E is low, it will increase over time if the share price stays flat. A higher P/E should indicate the stock is expensive relative to others -- and that may encourage shareholders to sell.

Nu Skin Enterprises saw earnings per share decrease by 28% last year. And over the longer term (5 years) earnings per share have decreased 14% annually. This growth rate might warrant a below average P/E ratio.

Remember: P/E Ratios Don't Consider The Balance Sheet

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.

While growth expenditure doesn't always pay off, the point is that it is a good option to have; but one that the P/E ratio ignores.

Nu Skin Enterprises's Balance Sheet

Net debt totals just 1.7% of Nu Skin Enterprises's market cap. It would probably trade on a higher P/E ratio if it had a lot of cash, but I doubt it is having a big impact.

The Verdict On Nu Skin Enterprises's P/E Ratio

Nu Skin Enterprises's P/E is 20.3 which is about average (19.0) in the US market. When you consider the lack of EPS growth last year (along with some debt), it seems the market is optimistic about the future for the business.

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 report on the analyst consensus forecasts could help you make a master move on this stock.

But note: Nu Skin Enterprises 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.

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