Here's What Allied Motion Technologies Inc.'s (NASDAQ:AMOT) P/E Is Telling Us

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 Allied Motion Technologies Inc.'s (NASDAQ:AMOT) P/E ratio could help you assess the value on offer. Allied Motion Technologies has a P/E ratio of 20.68, based on the last twelve months. That corresponds to an earnings yield of approximately 4.8%.

See our latest analysis for Allied Motion Technologies

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 Allied Motion Technologies:

P/E of 20.68 = $35.55 ÷ $1.72 (Based on the year 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 $1 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 Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios

Generally speaking the rate of earnings growth has a profound impact on a company's P/E multiple. When earnings grow, the 'E' increases, over time. That means unless the share price increases, the P/E will reduce in a few years. So while a stock may look expensive based on past earnings, it could be cheap based on future earnings.

In the last year, Allied Motion Technologies grew EPS like Taylor Swift grew her fan base back in 2010; the 96% gain was both fast and well deserved. The sweetener is that the annual five year growth rate of 31% is also impressive. So I'd be surprised if the P/E ratio was not above average.

Does Allied Motion Technologies Have A Relatively High Or Low P/E For Its Industry?

We can get an indication of market expectations by looking at the P/E ratio. As you can see below, Allied Motion Technologies has a higher P/E than the average company (17.4) in the electrical industry.

Allied Motion Technologies's P/E tells us that market participants think the company will perform better than its industry peers, going forward. Clearly the market expects growth, but it isn't guaranteed. So investors should always consider the P/E ratio alongside other factors, such as whether company directors have been buying shares.

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

It's important to note that the P/E ratio considers the market capitalization, not the enterprise value. 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.

Spending on growth might be good or bad a few years later, but the point is that the P/E ratio does not account for the option (or lack thereof).

Is Debt Impacting Allied Motion Technologies's P/E?

Allied Motion Technologies has net debt equal to 34% of its market cap. While that's enough to warrant consideration, it doesn't really concern us.

The Bottom Line On Allied Motion Technologies's P/E Ratio

Allied Motion Technologies's P/E is 20.7 which is above average (18.1) in the US market. Its debt levels do not imperil its balance sheet and its EPS growth is very healthy indeed. So to be frank we are not surprised it has a high P/E ratio.

Investors have an opportunity when market expectations about a stock are wrong. If the reality for a company is better than it expects, you can make money by buying and holding for the long term. 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 Allied Motion Technologies. 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.