Do You Like China Electronics Huada Technology Company Limited (HKG:85) At This P/E Ratio?

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The goal of this article is to teach you how to use price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). We'll look at China Electronics Huada Technology Company Limited's (HKG:85) P/E ratio and reflect on what it tells us about the company's share price. What is China Electronics Huada Technology's P/E ratio? Well, based on the last twelve months it is 12.54. That means that at current prices, buyers pay HK$12.54 for every HK$1 in trailing yearly profits.

View our latest analysis for China Electronics Huada Technology

How Do I Calculate A Price To Earnings Ratio?

The formula for price to earnings is:

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

Or for China Electronics Huada Technology:

P/E of 12.54 = HK$0.70 ÷ HK$0.056 (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2018.)

Is A High P/E Ratio Good?

A higher P/E ratio means that investors are paying a higher price for each HK$1 of company earnings. 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 Does China Electronics Huada Technology's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?

The P/E ratio indicates whether the market has higher or lower expectations of a company. If you look at the image below, you can see China Electronics Huada Technology has a lower P/E than the average (13.7) in the semiconductor industry classification.

China Electronics Huada Technology'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. If you consider the stock interesting, further research is recommended. For example, I often monitor director buying and selling.

How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios

Earnings growth rates have a big influence on P/E ratios. 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.

China Electronics Huada Technology shrunk earnings per share by 49% over the last year. But over the longer term (3 years), earnings per share have increased by 23%. And it has shrunk its earnings per share by 20% per year over the last five years. This could justify a pessimistic P/E.

Remember: P/E Ratios Don't Consider The Balance Sheet

It's important to note that the P/E ratio considers the market capitalization, not the enterprise value. In other words, it does not consider any debt or cash that the company may have on the balance sheet. The exact same company would hypothetically deserve a higher P/E ratio if it had a strong balance sheet, than if it had a weak one with lots of debt, because a cashed up company can spend on growth.

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).

So What Does China Electronics Huada Technology's Balance Sheet Tell Us?

Net debt totals a substantial 126% of China Electronics Huada Technology's market cap. This level of debt justifies a relatively low P/E, so remain cognizant of the debt, if you're comparing it to other stocks.

The Bottom Line On China Electronics Huada Technology's P/E Ratio

China Electronics Huada Technology has a P/E of 12.5. That's higher than the average in its market, which is 10.7. With relatively high debt, and no earnings per share growth over twelve months, it's safe to say the market believes the company will improve its earnings growth in the future.

Investors have an opportunity when market expectations about a stock are wrong. As value investor Benjamin Graham famously said, 'In the short run, the market is a voting machine but in the long run, it is a weighing machine.' Although we don't have analyst forecasts, you might want to assess this data-rich visualization of earnings, revenue and cash flow.

But note: China Electronics Huada Technology may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a P/E ratio 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.