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Does First Savings Financial Group, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:FSFG) P/E Ratio Signal A Buying Opportunity?

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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 First Savings Financial Group, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:FSFG) P/E ratio and reflect on what it tells us about the company's share price. First Savings Financial Group has a price to earnings ratio of 11.88, based on the last twelve months. That corresponds to an earnings yield of approximately 8.4%.

View our latest analysis for First Savings Financial Group

How Do You Calculate A P/E Ratio?

The formula for P/E is:

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

Or for First Savings Financial Group:

P/E of 11.88 = $54.5 ÷ $4.59 (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2018.)

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 necessarily good or bad, but a high P/E implies relatively high expectations of what a company can achieve in the future.

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. That means unless the share price increases, the P/E will reduce in a few years. A lower P/E should indicate the stock is cheap relative to others -- and that may attract buyers.

First Savings Financial Group saw earnings per share decrease by 1.7% last year. But EPS is up 17% over the last 5 years.

How Does First Savings Financial Group's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?

The P/E ratio essentially measures market expectations of a company. If you look at the image below, you can see First Savings Financial Group has a lower P/E than the average (13.1) in the banks industry classification.

NasdaqCM:FSFG Price Estimation Relative to Market, April 5th 2019
NasdaqCM:FSFG Price Estimation Relative to Market, April 5th 2019

Its relatively low P/E ratio indicates that First Savings Financial Group 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. If you consider the stock interesting, further research is recommended. For example, I often monitor director buying and selling.

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. Thus, the metric does not reflect cash or debt held by the company. In theory, a company can lower its future P/E ratio by using cash or debt to invest in 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).

First Savings Financial Group's Balance Sheet

First Savings Financial Group has net debt worth 70% of its market capitalization. This is enough debt that you'd have to make some adjustments before using the P/E ratio to compare it to a company with net cash.

The Bottom Line On First Savings Financial Group's P/E Ratio

First Savings Financial Group trades on a P/E ratio of 11.9, which is below the US market average of 18.1. Given meaningful debt, and a lack of recent growth, the market looks to be extrapolating this recent performance; reflecting low expectations for the future.

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. So this free visualization of the analyst consensus on future earnings could help you make the right decision about whether to buy, sell, or hold.

You might be able to find a better buy than First Savings Financial Group. 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).

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.