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Here's How P/E Ratios Can Help Us Understand Road King Infrastructure Limited (HKG:1098)

This article is for investors who would like to improve their understanding of price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). We'll look at Road King Infrastructure Limited's (HKG:1098) P/E ratio and reflect on what it tells us about the company's share price. What is Road King Infrastructure's P/E ratio? Well, based on the last twelve months it is 2.89. In other words, at today's prices, investors are paying HK$2.89 for every HK$1 in prior year profit.

View our latest analysis for Road King Infrastructure

How Do I Calculate A Price To Earnings Ratio?

The formula for P/E is:

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

Or for Road King Infrastructure:

P/E of 2.89 = HK$11.680 ÷ HK$4.041 (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2019.)

(Note: the above calculation results may not be precise due to rounding.)

Is A High Price-to-Earnings Ratio Good?

A higher P/E ratio means that buyers have to pay a higher price for each HK$1 the company has earned over the last year. 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.

Does Road King Infrastructure 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. The image below shows that Road King Infrastructure has a lower P/E than the average (6.3) P/E for companies in the real estate industry.

SEHK:1098 Price Estimation Relative to Market April 7th 2020
SEHK:1098 Price Estimation Relative to Market April 7th 2020

Road King Infrastructure's P/E tells us that market participants think it will not fare as well as its peers in the same industry. Many investors like to buy stocks when the market is pessimistic about their prospects. You should delve deeper. I like to check if company insiders have been buying or selling.

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. Therefore, even if you pay a high multiple of earnings now, that multiple will become lower in the future. Then, a lower P/E should attract more buyers, pushing the share price up.

Road King Infrastructure's earnings per share were pretty steady over the last year. But over the longer term (5 years) earnings per share have increased by 24%.

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. In other words, it does not consider any debt or cash that the company may have on the balance sheet. Theoretically, a business can improve its earnings (and produce a lower P/E in the future) by investing in growth. That means taking on debt (or spending its cash).

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.

Road King Infrastructure's Balance Sheet

Road King Infrastructure has net debt worth a very significant 214% of its market capitalization. This is a relatively high level of debt, so the stock probably deserves a relatively low P/E ratio. Keep that in mind when comparing it to other companies.

The Verdict On Road King Infrastructure's P/E Ratio

Road King Infrastructure's P/E is 2.9 which is below average (9.2) in the HK market. While the recent EPS growth is a positive, the significant amount of debt on the balance sheet may be contributing to pessimistic market expectations.

When the market is wrong about a stock, it gives savvy investors an opportunity. 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. Although we don't have analyst forecasts 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 be able to find a better stock than Road King Infrastructure. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have grown earnings strongly.

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.

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. Thank you for reading.