Do You Know What Public Joint Stock Company Saratov Oil Refinery's (MCX:KRKN) P/E Ratio Means?

This article is written for those who want to get better at using price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). We'll apply a basic P/E ratio analysis to Public Joint Stock Company Saratov Oil Refinery's (MCX:KRKN), to help you decide if the stock is worth further research. What is Saratov Oil Refinery's P/E ratio? Well, based on the last twelve months it is 1.4. That means that at current prices, buyers pay RUB1.4 for every RUB1 in trailing yearly profits.

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View our latest analysis for Saratov Oil Refinery

How Do I Calculate A Price To Earnings Ratio?

The formula for price to earnings is:

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

Or for Saratov Oil Refinery:

P/E of 1.4 = RUB6950 ÷ RUB4967.09 (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2018.)

Is A High P/E Ratio Good?

A higher P/E ratio means that buyers have to pay a higher price for each RUB1 the company has earned over the last year. 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 Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios

When earnings fall, the 'E' decreases, over time. That means even if the current P/E is low, it will increase over time if the share price stays flat. Then, a higher P/E might scare off shareholders, pushing the share price down.

In the last year, Saratov Oil Refinery grew EPS like Taylor Swift grew her fan base back in 2010; the 66% gain was both fast and well deserved.

Does Saratov Oil Refinery Have A Relatively High Or Low P/E For Its Industry?

One good way to get a quick read on what market participants expect of a company is to look at its P/E ratio. We can see in the image below that the average P/E (4.4) for companies in the oil and gas industry is higher than Saratov Oil Refinery's P/E.

Its relatively low P/E ratio indicates that Saratov Oil Refinery shareholders think it will struggle to do as well as other companies in its industry classification. While current expectations are low, the stock could be undervalued if the situation is better than the market assumes. If you consider the stock interesting, further research is recommended. For example, I often monitor director buying and selling.

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

One drawback of using a P/E ratio is that it considers market capitalization, but not the balance sheet. 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.

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.

Is Debt Impacting Saratov Oil Refinery's P/E?

The extra options and safety that comes with Saratov Oil Refinery's RUруб19m 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 Saratov Oil Refinery's P/E Ratio

Saratov Oil Refinery has a P/E of 1.4. That's below the average in the RU market, which is 7. The net cash position gives plenty of options to the business, and the recent improvement in EPS is good to see. One might conclude that the market is a bit pessimistic, given the low P/E ratio.

Investors have an opportunity when market expectations about a stock are wrong. If it is underestimating a company, investors can make money by buying and holding the shares until the market corrects itself. We don't have analyst forecasts, but you could get a better understanding of its growth by checking out this more detailed historical graph of earnings, revenue and cash flow.

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.

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.