Anyone who’s been in the investment market long enough will be aware of the many valuation tools that are used. Each one considers different valuation parameters and has its merits and demerits, but none of them are used on its own. Only the best professional analysts know the right combination to arrive at realistic valuation figures. PE ratio or price to earnings ratio is one such popular valuation tool.
In this article, we discuss the concept of PE ratio, the various types of it, its importance, and take a closer look at the PE ratios by industry.

PE Ratio or Price to Earnings Ratio
The most common method of company valuation is the market cap. Among investors and analyst circles, conversations about market cap are pretty common. It is simply the total value of outstanding stocks in the market, but this is only an overview. Even while considering a company’s stock price, there could be many factors that might swing investment decisions despite a company displaying a high market cap. This is precisely the importance of the PE ratio.
What is PE Ratio?
Price to earnings ratio, otherwise also known as the ‘earnings multiple’ or the ‘price multiple’ is a valuation ratio that helps determine the relative valuation of company stock. It considers the current stock price and compares it to the company’s earnings per share (EPS). The earnings per share are actually the company’s estimated earnings on every share. This is either reinvested back into the company or distributed among the shareholders as dividends. EPS is a direct indication of the company’s stock performance in the market.
Price to earnings ratio has a direct correlation with the stock price. The higher the stock price, the higher the PE ratio. Investors estimate a company with a high PE ratio is expensive, and the stock price might eventually fall. The ones with a lower PE ratio indicate low stock price, which will rise as the business expands. However, this stand-alone correlation is not enough. Analysts must look deeper into the historical data of PE ratios of a company to understand the trends.
Why is P/E Ratio important?
There are many company valuation methods. Based on the nature of investments and the industry being catered to, analysts use multiple methods to arrive at a practical valuation of a company compared to the others in the same sector. But very few offer the benefits of the PE ratio. The three factors that enhance the importance of PE ratio are:
- Fair comparison – Since the price to earnings ratio compares stock-related data of a company and studies trends in equity fluctuations over time, the benchmarks are internal. There is no need to rely on any information from the industry or market to use this valuation ratio.
- Long-term valuation – Leading with the fact that the PE ratio allows a fair comparison, it is also important to note that it enables an archival comparison of a company’s performance. For example, ratios like P/E 10 helps to average the past 10 years of earnings. Similarly, ratios like P/E 30 averages the past 30 years of earnings. All the data required to make these calculations are readily available in the company’s financial records.
- Overall value of stock index – Probably the most important application of PE ratio by industry is that it helps analyze the overall value of the stock index, for eg, in the case of the S&P 500. It is normal for a business to undergo fluctuations over time. But by using this ratio, investors can nullify the effect of fluctuations on the market as well as the business cycle and arrive at a realistic valuation of comparable companies within the same industry.

Types of P/E Ratio
P/E ratio as a value is still a relative comparison between the current stock price and the EPS. But based on the timeline of stock price consideration, they are categorized into the following:
Forward P/E Ratio
This price to earnings ratio compares current earnings to future earnings. It is otherwise also known as ‘estimated price to earnings‘. It gives a futuristic estimate of what the future earnings might look like. In this case, ‘future’ per se refers to the EPS projections for the next four quarters. It helps investors to look beyond historical data and base their investment decisions on the future potential of a company. However, this ratio does run the risk of either an overestimate or an underestimate as it depends on future projections. It is not an easy value to calculate and must be left in the hands of experts.
Trailing twelve months P/E Ratio
This ratio on the contrary, as the name suggests, uses EPS data from the past 12 months. As a metric, investors prefer to use this ratio as it is based on reliable data. Investors can judge a business’s current performance caliber based on how it has been performing over the past 1 year. However, sometimes, this could be misleading as well. Let’s say a business has new expansion plans in the pipeline, or have planned something else for the business. These certainly do not reflect on their past performance but can catapult the company to greater heights.
Absolute P/E Ratio
This ratio uses the current stock price but either uses EPS of the last 12 months or a combination of two quarters of forward EPS and two-quarters of TTM. The uniqueness of the absolute price to earnings ratio lies in the fact that it accounts for all data in the present. It does not lean whole on either the past or the future projections.
Relative P/E Ratio
On the other hand, this ratio embodies relative comparisons. It accounts for the absolute P/E (which is based on current data) and compares it to P/E values of the past. This time frame will depend on the time period set by investors. It could be 10 years or 20 or even 30. Another direct approach could be to compare the absolute P/E with the highest P/E value of the assumed time frame.
P/E Ratio Formula
As discussed as far, the PE ratio formula is as follows:
P/E ratio = current stock price / Earnings per share
Where:
- Current stock price = current price of a stock in the market
- Earnings per share = profit made by company per share (forward or TTM)
P/E Ratio Limitations
As mentioned earlier, there are many valuation ratios used by investors. Each has its advantages and drawbacks, and none of them are absolute. Similarly, the PE ratio has its limitations too. Some of the disadvantages of price to earnings ratio are:
- A company might not have profitable earnings to show at the calculation time. This could be misleading as they might pick up soon with the right investment. PE ratio, in this case, might render the entire business unfit for investment.
- The PE ratio formula is suitable to compare companies within the same industry. Even then, the way businesses make money may differ from one to another. This might lead to skewed comparisons.
- While using the forward price to earnings ratio, assumptions about future projections could be a limitation if not estimated correctly.

P/E Ratio By Industry
Based on our understanding so far about the importance of the PE ratio, here is a compilation of values as per industry. As is seen, the range of value varies from one industry to another. Thus investors must use the right values to arrive at profitable investment decisions.
Row Labels | Annual Volatility | PE Ratio |
---|---|---|
Accident & Health Insurance | 44.03% | 9.67 |
Advertising | 71.76% | 34.17 |
Aerospace | 37.30% | 33.74 |
Agricultural Chemicals | 62.18% | 12.85 |
Air Freight/Delivery Services | 43.54% | 5.08 |
Apparel | 29.00% | 35.23 |
Assisted Living Services | 53.87% | 14.38 |
Auto Manufacturing | 96.23% | 21.14 |
Auto Parts: O.E.M. | 41.07% | 17.13 |
Automotive Aftermarket | 63.62% | 23.13 |
Banks | 40.35% | 9.66 |
Beverages (Production/Distribution) | 62.32% | 31.53 |
Biotechnology: Biological Products (No Diagnostic Substances) | 111.05% | 45.32 |
Biotechnology: Commercial Physical & Biological Research | 110.13% | 27.84 |
Biotechnology: Electromedical & Electrotherapeutic Apparatus | 62.78% | 47.93 |
Biotechnology: In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances | 110.61% | 19.77 |
Biotechnology: Laboratory Analytical Instruments | 89.65% | 9.08 |
Broadcasting | 33.77% | 3.02 |
Building Materials | 68.86% | 26.83 |
Building Operators | 51.84% | 4.34 |
Building Products | 76.38% | 15.2 |
Business Services | 91.84% | 47.9 |
Catalog/Specialty Distribution | 92.93% | 26.71 |
Clothing/Shoe/Accessory Stores | 74.62% | 24.18 |
Coal Mining | 64.42% | 3.18 |
Commercial Banks | 38.70% | 16.72 |
Computer Manufacturing | 65.60% | 24.31 |
Computer peripheral equipment | 83.97% | 20.06 |
Computer Software: Prepackaged Software | 112.17% | 43.72 |
Construction/Ag Equipment/Trucks | 41.67% | 31.82 |
Consumer Electronics/Appliances | 91.75% | 10.23 |
Consumer Electronics/Video Chains | 155.48% | 35.05 |
Consumer Specialties | 92.25% | 13.3 |
Containers/Packaging | 73.17% | 21.29 |
Department/Specialty Retail Stores | 83.54% | 27.37 |
Diversified Commercial Services | 50.40% | 28.07 |
Diversified Financial Services | 72.81% | 8.97 |
Diversified Manufacture | 78.36% | 41.18 |
EDP Services | 104.67% | 36.47 |
Electric Utilities: Central | 47.28% | 25.44 |
Electrical Products | 76.09% | 34 |
Electronic Components | 62.49% | 26.69 |
Engineering & Construction | 69.18% | 33.56 |
Environmental Services | 69.21% | 25.68 |
Farming/Seeds/Milling | 51.92% | 42.66 |
Finance Companies | 40.90% | 15.49 |
Finance/Investors Services | 26.05% | 11 |
Finance: Consumer Services | 56.96% | 7.15 |
Fluid Controls | 63.58% | 44.84 |
Food Chains | 50.46% | 12.02 |
Food Distributors | 52.08% | 9.29 |
Forest Products | 85.21% | 11.06 |
Home Furnishings | 75.83% | 21.03 |
Homebuilding | 94.44% | 18.37 |
Hospital/Nursing Management | 93.04% | 10.02 |
Hotels/Resorts | 57.54% | 15.91 |
Industrial Machinery/Components | 95.75% | 24.78 |
Industrial Specialties | 74.91% | 48.91 |
Internet and Information Services | 59.87% | 16.51 |
Investment Bankers/Brokers/Service | 58.67% | 28.16 |
Investment Managers | 76.15% | 13.15 |
Life Insurance | 35.40% | 13.47 |
Major Banks | 51.71% | 14.19 |
Major Chemicals | 56.96% | 44.04 |
Major Pharmaceuticals | 59.83% | 24.81 |
Managed Health Care | 47.05% | 56.77 |
Marine Transportation | 60.64% | 11.33 |
Meat/Poultry/Fish | 54.55% | 25.62 |
Medical Electronics | 53.99% | 9.62 |
Medical Specialties | 81.53% | 36.09 |
Medical/Dental Instruments | 90.51% | 55.92 |
Medical/Nursing Services | 74.13% | 33.51 |
Metal Fabrications | 90.06% | 36.37 |
Military/Government/Technical | 78.51% | 42.03 |
Motor Vehicles | 116.73% | 22.89 |
Movies/Entertainment | 51.01% | 21.99 |
Multisector Companies | 59.62% | 19.56 |
Natural Gas Distribution | 50.47% | 19.04 |
Newspapers/Magazines | 56.92% | 24.01 |
Office Equipment/Supplies/Services | 66.02% | 30.41 |
Oil & Gas Production | 62.40% | 27.73 |
Oil Refining/Marketing | 55.74% | 18.88 |
Oil/Gas Transmission | 31.62% | 10.95 |
Oilfield Services/Equipment | 67.36% | 19.63 |
Ophthalmic Goods | 95.78% | 39.26 |
Ordnance And Accessories | 77.24% | 10.66 |
Other Consumer Services | 42.07% | 47.95 |
Other Metals and Minerals | 89.21% | 11.58 |
Other Pharmaceuticals | 50.76% | 8.21 |
Other Specialty Stores | 127.77% | 18.67 |
Package Goods/Cosmetics | 70.48% | 41.15 |
Packaged Foods | 42.61% | 25.49 |
Paints/Coatings | 50.13% | 24.38 |
Paper | 41.24% | 14.95 |
Plastic Products | 41.00% | 15.89 |
Pollution Control Equipment | 54.28% | 25.08 |
Power Generation | 53.62% | 33.25 |
Precious Metals | 53.43% | 29.37 |
Professional Services | 57.43% | 36.56 |
Property Casualty Insurers | 46.69% | 9.3 |
Radio And Television Broadcasting And Communications Equipment | 123.14% | 26.55 |
Railroads | 68.00% | 35.63 |
Real Estate | 94.77% | 39.11 |
Real Estate Investment Trusts | 75.58% | 56.17 |
Recreational Products/Toys | 55.84% | 25.05 |
Rental/Leasing Companies | 87.89% | 18.72 |
Restaurants | 94.04% | 41.96 |
RETAIL: Building Materials | 66.18% | 13.69 |
Retail: Computer Software & Peripheral Equipment | 73.85% | 23.1 |
Savings Institutions | 47.66% | 19.31 |
Semiconductors | 102.78% | 44.24 |
Service to the Health Industry | 78.43% | 14.77 |
Services Misc. Amusement & Recreation | 29.34% | 11.84 |
Shoe Manufacturing | 97.13% | 25.32 |
Specialty Chemicals | 12.36% | 7.72 |
Specialty Foods | 47.76% | 32.87 |
Specialty Insurers | 66.80% | 19.97 |
Steel/Iron Ore | 60.14% | 7.85 |
Telecommunications Equipment | 59.15% | 32.32 |
Television Services | 97.80% | 31.82 |
Textiles | 59.09% | 29.61 |
Tobacco | 30.39% | 8.92 |
Tools/Hardware | 95.34% | 30 |
Transportation Services | 47.51% | 19.98 |
Trucking Freight/Courier Services | 68.96% | 21.27 |
Trusts Except Educational Religious and Charitable | 21.76% | 10.85 |
Water Supply | 71.57% | 29.12 |
Wholesale Distributors | 84.71% | 18.53 |
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FAQs
What is a good PE ratio by industry? ›
One sector might have P/E ratios in the 30s and consider that a good number, while other industries could have typical P/E ratios in the 20s or even 10s. “The S&P 500 is around 26,” Braun-Bostich says. “That's about 62% higher than average.”
Where can I find industry PE ratio? ›An industry PE ratio can be calculated dividing its market capitalisation by its total net profit. For example, if the P/E ratio of a company is 10x (10 times) it means that an investor has to pay Rs 10 to earn Rs 1 hence lower the ratio, cheaper is the valuation and vice versa.
Should PE ratio be higher or lower than industry average? ›Companies that grow faster than average typically have higher P/Es, such as technology companies. A higher P/E ratio shows that investors are willing to pay a higher share price today because of growth expectations in the future. The average P/E for the S&P 500 has historically ranged from 13 to 15.
How much should the PE ratio is good? ›To give you some sense of what average for the market is, though, many value investors would refer to 20 to 25 as the average P/E ratio range.
How do you determine if a company is overvalued or undervalued? ›- Price-earnings ratio (P/E)
- Price-earnings ratio to growth (PEG)
- Relative dividend yield.
- Debt-equity ratio (D/E)
- Return on equity (ROE)
- Earnings yield.
- Current ratio.
- Price-to-book ratio (P/B)
March 13, 2020. 2 min read. PE is Price to earning ratio. Industry PE is the average price-to-earning ratio of a particular sector or industry. It's used as a benchmark to compare the PE of a stock to the PE of an entire industry.
What if PE ratio is higher than sector PE? ›As can be seen from the table above, stock A has a higher PE ratio than the sector average which results in a positive output. When the output is positive it is said that the stock is trading at a premium to the sector.
Which company has the best PE ratio? ›# | Name | P/E ratio |
---|---|---|
1 | Macquarie Infrastructure 1MIC | 0.1326 |
2 | Navios Maritime Holdings 2NM | 0.2892 |
3 | Liberty TripAdvisor Holdings 3LTRPA | 0.3132 |
4 | Kaixin Auto 4KXIN | 0.3291 |
A P/E ratio of N/A means the ratio is not available or not applicable for that company's stock. A company can have a P/E ratio of N/A if it's newly listed on the stock exchange, such as in the case of an initial public offering (IPO). A company can have a P/E ratio of N/A if it has negative earnings per share (EPS).
What if industry PE is negative? ›Significance of PE ratio
Say, a company has a negative PE ratio. This means it has been incurring losses. You might assume that investing in such an entity is not a good idea.
What does it mean when a company has a very high PE ratio give examples of industries in which you believe high PE ratios are justified? ›
A high P/E ratio could mean that a company's stock is overvalued, or that investors are expecting high growth rates in the future. Companies that have no earnings or that are losing money do not have a P/E ratio because there is nothing to put in the denominator.
Is high PE ratio good or bad? ›A higher PE suggests high expectations for future growth, perhaps because the company is small or is an a rapidly expanding market. For others, a low PE is preferred, since it suggests expectations are not too high and the company is more likely to outperform earnings forecasts.
Is 30 a good PE ratio? ›A P/E of 30 is high by historical stock market standards. This type of valuation is usually placed on only the fastest-growing companies by investors in the company's early stages of growth. Once a company becomes more mature, it will grow more slowly and the P/E tends to decline.
Is PE ratio still relevant? ›To many investors, the price-earnings ratio is the single most indispensable indicator for any stock purchase. Sadly, they are putting their trust in a myth. Surely, the P-E ratio is the most common way to gauge a stock's valuation, i.e., how its share price compares with the company's earnings.
Is 50 a good PE ratio? ›Historically, a Nifty 50 PE ratio of more than 25 means the market is overvalued.
What is an overvalued PE ratio? ›What Is "Overvalued"? An overvalued stock has a current price that is not justified by its earnings outlook, known as profit projections, or its price-earnings (P/E) ratio. Consequently, analysts and other economic experts expect the price to drop eventually.
What is a high PE ratio? ›A high P/E ratio might indicate that a stock's price is high relative to its earnings and potentially suggests that the stock is overvalued. On the other hand, a low P/E ratio might mean that a stock is undervalued.
How do you determine if a stock is a good buy? ›The most common way to value a stock is to compute the company's price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio. The P/E ratio equals the company's stock price divided by its most recently reported earnings per share (EPS). A low P/E ratio implies that an investor buying the stock is receiving an attractive amount of value.
What industry has high PE ratio? ›Row Labels | Annual Volatility | PE Ratio |
---|---|---|
Accident & Health Insurance | 44.03% | 9.67 |
Advertising | 71.76% | 34.17 |
Aerospace | 37.30% | 33.74 |
Agricultural Chemicals | 62.18% | 12.85 |
S.No. | Name | CMP Rs. |
---|---|---|
1. | Standard Inds. | 22.10 |
2. | EKI Energy | 1398.50 |
3. | Kwality Pharma | 414.45 |
4. | Suumaya Indust. | 45.40 |
What is the best PE to buy a stock? ›
So, what is a good PE ratio for a stock? A “good” P/E ratio isn't necessarily a high ratio or a low ratio on its own. The market average P/E ratio currently ranges from 20-25, so a higher PE above that could be considered bad, while a lower PE ratio could be considered better.
What is Tesla's PE ratio? ›The price to earnings ratio is calculated by taking the latest closing price and dividing it by the most recent earnings per share (EPS) number. The PE ratio is a simple way to assess whether a stock is over or under valued and is the most widely used valuation measure. Tesla PE ratio as of September 30, 2022 is 96.94.
Is a negative PE ratio bad? ›An investor or an analyst should be concerned about the negative P/E ratio when a company consistently reports a negative P/E ratio for longer periods of time for say, 5 years in a row. This indicates that the company is not in good financial health.
Why is Teslas P E so high? ›Tesla's gross profit margins are better than industry peers. That's one reason Tesla gets a premium valuation. Jonas also believes that Tesla will sell more stuff such as insurance and self driving software that can generate recurring sales. That's new for the auto industry and has the potential to add to profits.
Should we buy a stock if PE is negative? ›A high P/E typically means a stock's price is high relative to earnings. A low P/E indicates a stock's price is low compared to earnings and the company may be losing money. A consistently negative P/E ratio run the risk of bankruptcy.
What is a good EPS? ›The result is assigned a rating of 1 to 99, with 99 being best. An EPS Rating of 99 indicates that a company's profit growth has exceeded 99% of all publicly traded companies in the IBD database.
How do you justify a high PE ratio? ›Using the Justified P/E Ratio
If the justified P/E is greater than the forward P/E, then the stock is likely undervalued/underpriced. Alternatively, if the justified P/E is lower than the stock's forward P/E, all other things being equal, the stock is considered overvalued at its current price.
The most common use of the P/E ratio is to gauge the valuation of a stock or index. The higher the ratio, the more expensive a stock is relative to its earnings. The lower the ratio, the less expensive the stock. In this way, stocks and equity mutual funds can be classified as “growth” or “value” investments.
How do you analyze the PE ratio? ›P/E Ratio is calculated by dividing the market price of a share by the earnings per share. P/E Ratio is calculated by dividing the market price of a share by the earnings per share. For instance, the market price of a share of the Company ABC is Rs 90 and the earnings per share are Rs 9 . P/E = 90 / 9 = 10.
What is Tesla's PE ratio? ›The price to earnings ratio is calculated by taking the latest closing price and dividing it by the most recent earnings per share (EPS) number. The PE ratio is a simple way to assess whether a stock is over or under valued and is the most widely used valuation measure. Tesla PE ratio as of September 30, 2022 is 96.94.
Which company has the best PE ratio? ›
# | Name | P/E ratio |
---|---|---|
1 | Macquarie Infrastructure 1MIC | 0.1326 |
2 | Navios Maritime Holdings 2NM | 0.2892 |
3 | Liberty TripAdvisor Holdings 3LTRPA | 0.3132 |
4 | Kaixin Auto 4KXIN | 0.3291 |
To cite an actual example, on August 2021, the average P/E ratio of the financial services industry was 7.60.
Why is Teslas PE so high? ›Tesla's gross profit margins are better than industry peers. That's one reason Tesla gets a premium valuation. Jonas also believes that Tesla will sell more stuff such as insurance and self driving software that can generate recurring sales. That's new for the auto industry and has the potential to add to profits.
What is the PE ratio for Amazon? ›30, 2022.
What is Snowflake PE ratio? ›P/E ratio as of October 2022 (TTM): -71.5
According to Snowflake's latest financial reports and stock price the company's current price-to-earnings ratio (TTM) is -71.4832. At the end of 2021 the company had a P/E ratio of -133.
S.No. | Name | CMP Rs. |
---|---|---|
1. | Swiss Military | 18.65 |
2. | CEAT | 1573.60 |
3. | Ethos Ltd | 974.00 |
4. | Life Insurance | 621.65 |
Row Labels | Annual Volatility | PE Ratio |
---|---|---|
Accident & Health Insurance | 44.03% | 9.67 |
Advertising | 71.76% | 34.17 |
Aerospace | 37.30% | 33.74 |
Agricultural Chemicals | 62.18% | 12.85 |
Many investors will say that it is better to buy shares in companies with a lower P/E because this means you are paying less for every dollar of earnings that you receive. In that sense, a lower P/E is like a lower price tag, making it attractive to investors looking for a bargain.
Should I buy stocks with high PE ratio? ›The popular opinion about stocks with high P/E ratios is that they are excellent investment options since investors are willing to pay more for a smaller share in the company's earnings. Hence, they presume this to be an indicator of an optimistic investor perception towards the stock.
Why do banks trade at low PE ratios? ›In my piece on Lloyds TSB (NYSE:LYG) , I wrote that banks usually trade at lower price-to-earnings ratios to the market, because they are considered riskier investments as a result of their high use of debt.
What is Goldman Sachs PE ratio? ›
The PE ratio is a simple way to assess whether a stock is over or under valued and is the most widely used valuation measure. Goldman Sachs PE ratio as of September 30, 2022 is 6.63.
How do you calculate industry average? ›Calculate it by dividing Net Credit Sales or Total Sales by the Average Accounts Receivable. Find the Average Accounts Receivable by adding the beginning and ending accounts receivable numbers and dividing the sum by 2.
What is the highest PE ratio in history? ›In May 2009, the P/E ratio reached a staggering 123.73x, the highest ratio in United States history. This was primarily due to the depressed earnings during the “Great Recession” and has been the only instance since 1970 in which the P/E ratio reached triple digits.
Is Tesla overvalued or undervalued? ›Key Points. Tesla bears have long claimed the stock is overvalued. Based on the PEG ratio, it's actually cheaper than the average Dow stock.
What does a high PE ratio mean? ›The P/E ratio shows how much growth investors expect from companies they invest in. A high ratio indicates that investors are paying much more per share than the company is earning, which is common in new businesses with a lot of investment capital, like tech start-ups.