Is Professional Computer Technology Limited’s (GTSM:6270) P/E Ratio Really That Good? – Simply Wall St News


Is Professional Computer Technology Limited’s (GTSM:6270) P/E Ratio Really That Good? – Simply Wall St News

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 Professional Computer Technology Limited’s (GTSM:6270), to help you decide if the stock is worth further research. Looking at earnings over the last twelve months, Professional Computer Technology has a P/E ratio of 12.78. That corresponds to an earnings yield of approximately 7.8%.

See our latest analysis for Professional Computer Technology

How Do You Calculate A P/E Ratio?

The formula for P/E is:

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

Or for Professional Computer Technology:

P/E of 12.78 = TWD14.55 ÷ TWD1.14 (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2019.)

Is A High Price-to-Earnings Ratio Good?

The higher the P/E ratio, the higher the price tag of a business, relative to its trailing earnings. That isn’t necessarily good or bad, but a high P/E implies relatively high expectations of what a company can achieve in the future.

How Does Professional Computer Technology’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 Professional Computer Technology has a lower P/E than the average (15.2) P/E for companies in the electronic industry.

GTSM:6270 Price Estimation Relative to Market, February 10th 2020

Its relatively low P/E ratio indicates that Professional Computer Technology shareholders think it will struggle to do as well as other companies in its industry classification. 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

P/E ratios primarily reflect market expectations around earnings growth rates. If earnings are growing quickly, then the ‘E’ in the equation will increase faster than it would otherwise. That means even if the current P/E is high, it will reduce over time if the share price stays flat. And as that P/E ratio drops, the company will look cheap, unless its share price increases.

In the last year, Professional Computer Technology grew EPS like Taylor Swift grew her fan base back in 2010; the 52% gain was both fast and well deserved. The sweetener is that the annual five year growth rate of 16% is also impressive. With that kind of growth rate we would generally expect a high P/E ratio.

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

Don’t forget that the P/E ratio considers market capitalization. In other words, it does not consider any debt or cash that the company may have on the balance sheet. In theory, a company can lower its future P/E ratio by using cash or debt to invest in growth.

While growth expenditure doesn’t always pay off, the point is that it is a good option to have; but one that the P/E ratio ignores.

How Does Professional Computer Technology’s Debt Impact Its P/E Ratio?

With net cash of NT$376m, Professional Computer Technology has a very strong balance sheet, which may be important for its business. Having said that, at 36% of its market capitalization the cash hoard would contribute towards a higher P/E ratio.

The Verdict On Professional Computer Technology’s P/E Ratio

Professional Computer Technology has a P/E of 12.8. That’s below the average in the TW market, which is 16.1. It grew its EPS nicely over the last year, and the healthy balance sheet implies there is more potential for growth. The below average P/E ratio suggests that market participants don’t believe the strong growth will continue.

Investors should be looking to buy stocks that the market is wrong about. If it is underestimating a company, investors can make money by buying and holding the shares until the market corrects itself. Although we don’t have analyst forecasts shareholders might want to examine this detailed historical graph of earnings, revenue and cash flow.

You might be able to find a better buy than Professional Computer Technology. If you want a selection of possible winners, check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a P/E below 20 (but have proven they can grow earnings).

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at [email protected]. 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.

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