Yahoo Finance Should You Be Tempted To Sell Black Knight, Inc. (NYSE:BKI) Because Of Its P/E Ratio?
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Today, we'll introduce the concept of the P/E ratio for those who are learning about investing. We'll look at Black Knight, Inc.'s (NYSE:BKI) P/E ratio and reflect on what it tells us about the company's share price. Black Knight has a price to earnings ratio of 55.56, based on the last twelve months. That is equivalent to an earnings yield of about 1.8%.
Check out our latest analysis for Black Knight
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)
Or for Black Knight:
P/E of 55.56 = $62.28 ÷ $1.12 (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2019.)
Is A High P/E Ratio Good?
The higher the P/E ratio, the higher the price tag of a business, relative to its trailing earnings. That is not a good or a bad thing per se, but a high P/E does imply buyers are optimistic about the future.
Does Black Knight Have A Relatively High Or Low P/E For Its Industry?
The P/E ratio indicates whether the market has higher or lower expectations of a company. As you can see below, Black Knight has a higher P/E than the average company (36.2) in the it industry.
Its relatively high P/E ratio indicates that Black Knight shareholders think it will perform better than other companies in its industry classification. Clearly the market expects growth, but it isn't guaranteed. So further research is always essential. I often monitor director buying and selling.
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. When earnings grow, the 'E' increases, over time. That means even if the current P/E is high, it will reduce over time if the share price stays flat. A lower P/E should indicate the stock is cheap relative to others -- and that may attract buyers.
Black Knight's earnings per share fell by 43% in the last twelve months. But over the longer term (3 years), earnings per share have increased by 32%.
Don't Forget: The P/E Does Not Account For Debt or Bank Deposits
Don't forget that the P/E ratio considers market capitalization. That means it doesn't take debt or cash into account. Hypothetically, a company could reduce its future P/E ratio by spending its cash (or taking on debt) to achieve higher earnings.
Such spending might be good or bad, overall, but the key point here is that you need to look at debt to understand the P/E ratio in context.
So What Does Black Knight's Balance Sheet Tell Us?
Black Knight has net debt worth 18% of its market capitalization. That's enough debt to impact the P/E ratio a little; so keep it in mind if you're comparing it to companies without debt.
The Bottom Line On Black Knight's P/E Ratio
Black Knight's P/E is 55.6 which suggests the market is more focussed on the future opportunity rather than the current level of earnings. With some debt but no EPS growth last year, the market has high expectations of future profits.
Investors should be looking to buy stocks that the market is wrong about. 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.' So this free visual report on analyst forecasts could hold the key to an excellent investment decision.
Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates. So take a peek at this free list of companies with modest (or no) debt, trading on a P/E 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.
