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Despite Its High P/E Ratio, Is Ames National Corporation (NASDAQ:ATLO) Still Undervalued?

This article is for investors who would like to improve their understanding of price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). To keep it practical, we'll show how Ames National Corporation's (NASDAQ:ATLO) P/E ratio could help you assess the value on offer. Ames National has a price to earnings ratio of 12.22, based on the last twelve months. That means that at current prices, buyers pay $12.22 for every $1 in trailing yearly profits.

Check out our latest analysis for Ames National

How Do I Calculate A Price To Earnings Ratio?

The formula for price to earnings is:

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

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Or for Ames National:

P/E of 12.22 = $22.750 ÷ $1.861 (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 implies that investors pay a higher price for the earning power of the business. 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.

How Does Ames National'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 Ames National has a higher P/E than the average (9.9) P/E for companies in the banks industry.

NasdaqCM:ATLO Price Estimation Relative to Market, March 15th 2020
NasdaqCM:ATLO Price Estimation Relative to Market, March 15th 2020

That means that the market expects Ames National will outperform other companies in its industry. Clearly the market expects growth, but it isn't guaranteed. So investors should always consider the P/E ratio alongside other factors, such as whether company directors have been buying shares.

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. That's because companies that grow earnings per share quickly will rapidly increase the 'E' in the equation. 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.

Ames National had pretty flat EPS growth in the last year. But over the longer term (5 years) earnings per share have increased by 2.6%.

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

It's important to note that the P/E ratio considers the market capitalization, not the enterprise value. So it won't reflect the advantage of cash, or disadvantage of debt. 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).

How Does Ames National's Debt Impact Its P/E Ratio?

With net cash of US$88m, Ames National has a very strong balance sheet, which may be important for its business. Having said that, at 42% of its market capitalization the cash hoard would contribute towards a higher P/E ratio.

The Verdict On Ames National's P/E Ratio

Ames National's P/E is 12.2 which is below average (14.0) in the US market. Earnings improved over the last year. Also positive, the relatively strong balance sheet will allow for investment in growth. In contrast, the P/E indicates shareholders doubt that will happen!

Investors have an opportunity when market expectations about a stock are wrong. If it is underestimating a company, investors can make money by buying and holding the shares until the market corrects itself. We don't have analyst forecasts, but shareholders might want to examine this detailed historical graph of earnings, revenue and cash flow.

But note: Ames National 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).

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.