Does Catena Media p.l.c (STO:CTM) Have A Good P/E Ratio?

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 Catena Media p.l.c's (STO:CTM), to help you decide if the stock is worth further research. Catena Media p.l.c has a price to earnings ratio of 9.84, based on the last twelve months. In other words, at today's prices, investors are paying SEK9.84 for every SEK1 in prior year profit.

View our latest analysis for Catena Media p.l.c

How Do I Calculate A Price To Earnings Ratio?

The formula for P/E is:

Price to Earnings Ratio = Share Price (in reporting currency) ÷ Earnings per Share (EPS)

Or for Catena Media p.l.c:

P/E of 9.84 = €5.5 (Note: this is the share price in the reporting currency, namely, EUR ) ÷ €0.56 (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2018.)

Is A High Price-to-Earnings Ratio Good?

A higher P/E ratio means that buyers have to pay a higher price for each SEK1 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

Probably the most important factor in determining what P/E a company trades on is the earnings growth. That's because companies that grow earnings per share quickly will rapidly increase the 'E' in the equation. That means unless the share price increases, the P/E will reduce in a few years. A lower P/E should indicate the stock is cheap relative to others -- and that may attract buyers.

Catena Media p.l.c increased earnings per share by a whopping 38% last year. And its annual EPS growth rate over 5 years is 70%. So we'd generally expect it to have a relatively high P/E ratio.

How Does Catena Media p.l.c's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?

We can get an indication of market expectations by looking at the P/E ratio. The image below shows that Catena Media p.l.c has a lower P/E than the average (23.5) P/E for companies in the interactive media and services industry.

Its relatively low P/E ratio indicates that Catena Media p.l.c 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. It is arguably worth checking if insiders are buying shares, because that might imply they believe the stock is undervalued.

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. In other words, it does not consider any debt or cash that the company may have on the balance sheet. Hypothetically, a company could reduce its future P/E ratio by spending its cash (or taking on debt) to achieve higher earnings.

Such expenditure might be good or bad, in the long term, but the point here is that the balance sheet is not reflected by this ratio.

So What Does Catena Media p.l.c's Balance Sheet Tell Us?

Net debt is 42% of Catena Media p.l.c's market cap. While it's worth keeping this in mind, it isn't a worry.

The Bottom Line On Catena Media p.l.c's P/E Ratio

Catena Media p.l.c's P/E is 9.8 which is below average (17) in the SE market. The company hasn't stretched its balance sheet, and earnings growth was good last year. If the company can continue to grow earnings, then the current P/E may be unjustifiably low.

When the market is wrong about a stock, it gives savvy investors an opportunity. If it is underestimating a company, investors can make money by buying and holding the shares until the market corrects itself. So this freevisualization of the analyst consensus on future earnings could help you make the right decision about whether to buy, sell, or hold.

Of course you might be able to find a better stock than Catena Media p.l.c. So you may wish to see this freecollection of other companies that have grown earnings strongly.

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.