Here's What Progress Software Corporation's (NASDAQ:PRGS) P/E Ratio Is Telling Us

The goal of this article is to teach you how to use price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). We'll show how you can use Progress Software Corporation's (NASDAQ:PRGS) P/E ratio to inform your assessment of the investment opportunity. Progress Software has a price to earnings ratio of 26.08, based on the last twelve months. In other words, at today's prices, investors are paying $26.08 for every $1 in prior year profit.

Check out our latest analysis for Progress Software

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 Progress Software:

P/E of 26.08 = $36.34 ÷ $1.39 (Based on the year to November 2018.)

Is A High Price-to-Earnings Ratio Good?

A higher P/E ratio means that investors are paying a higher price for each $1 of company 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 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. Therefore, even if you pay a high multiple of earnings now, that multiple will become lower in the future. A lower P/E should indicate the stock is cheap relative to others -- and that may attract buyers.

It's nice to see that Progress Software grew EPS by a stonking 79% in the last year. And it has improved its earnings per share by 74% per year over the last three years. So we'd generally expect it to have a relatively high P/E ratio. Unfortunately, earnings per share are down 5.7% a year, over 5 years.

How Does Progress Software's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?

We can get an indication of market expectations by looking at the P/E ratio. We can see in the image below that the average P/E (53.1) for companies in the software industry is higher than Progress Software's P/E.

Its relatively low P/E ratio indicates that Progress Software 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

The 'Price' in P/E reflects the market capitalization of the company. That means it doesn't take debt or cash into account. 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).

Progress Software's Balance Sheet

Since Progress Software holds net cash of US$23m, it can spend on growth, justifying a higher P/E ratio than otherwise.

The Verdict On Progress Software's P/E Ratio

Progress Software's P/E is 26.1 which is above average (17.4) in the US market. Its net cash position supports a higher P/E ratio, as does its solid recent earnings growth. So it is not surprising the market is probably extrapolating recent growth well into the future, reflected in the relatively high P/E ratio.

Investors should be looking to buy stocks that the market is wrong about. 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 find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates. So take a peek at this freelist 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.