Do You Know What Husky Energy Inc.'s (TSE:HSE) P/E Ratio Means?

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This article is for investors who would like to improve their understanding of price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). We'll look at Husky Energy Inc.'s (TSE:HSE) P/E ratio and reflect on what it tells us about the company's share price. Based on the last twelve months, Husky Energy's P/E ratio is 8.3. That means that at current prices, buyers pay CA$8.3 for every CA$1 in trailing yearly profits.

Check out our latest analysis for Husky Energy

How Do You Calculate Husky Energy's P/E Ratio?

The formula for price to earnings is:

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

Or for Husky Energy:

P/E of 8.3 = CA$12.41 ÷ CA$1.49 (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2019.)

Is A High P/E Ratio Good?

A higher P/E ratio means that investors are paying a higher price for each CA$1 of company earnings. That isn't a good or a bad thing on its own, but a high P/E means that buyers have a higher opinion of the business's prospects, relative to stocks with a lower P/E.

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. And in that case, the P/E ratio itself will drop rather quickly. So while a stock may look expensive based on past earnings, it could be cheap based on future earnings.

Husky Energy's 62% EPS improvement over the last year was like bamboo growth after rain; rapid and impressive. On the other hand, the longer term performance is poor, with EPS down 5.4% per year over 5 years.

Does Husky Energy Have A Relatively High Or Low P/E For Its Industry?

The P/E ratio indicates whether the market has higher or lower expectations of a company. We can see in the image below that the average P/E (13.6) for companies in the oil and gas industry is higher than Husky Energy's P/E.

This suggests that market participants think Husky Energy will underperform other companies in its industry.

Don't Forget: The P/E Does Not Account For Debt or Bank Deposits

Don't forget that the P/E ratio considers market capitalization. In other words, it does not consider any debt or cash that the company may have on the balance sheet. The exact same company would hypothetically deserve a higher P/E ratio if it had a strong balance sheet, than if it had a weak one with lots of debt, because a cashed up company can spend on 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.

So What Does Husky Energy's Balance Sheet Tell Us?

Husky Energy's net debt equates to 27% of its market capitalization. While it's worth keeping this in mind, it isn't a worry.

The Bottom Line On Husky Energy's P/E Ratio

Husky Energy's P/E is 8.3 which is below average (14.9) in the CA market. The EPS growth last year was strong, and debt levels are quite reasonable. The low P/E ratio suggests current market expectations are muted, implying these levels of growth will not continue.

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

But note: Husky Energy 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).

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.