What Is an Earnings Multiplier? How It Works and Example (2024)

What Is the Earnings Multiplier?

The earnings multiplier is a financial metric that frames a company's current stock price in terms of the company's earnings per share(EPS) of stock, that's simply computed as price per share/earnings per share. Also known as the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, the earnings multiplier can be used as a simplified valuation tool with which to compare therelative costliness of the stocks of similar companies. It can likewise help investors judge current stock prices against their historical prices on an earnings-relative basis.

Key Takeaways

  • The earnings multiplier frames a company's current stock price in terms of the company's earnings per share (EPS) of stock.
  • This metric is computed as price per share/earnings per share.
  • The earnings multiplier can help investors determine how expensive the current price of a stock is relative to the company's earnings per share of that stock.

Understanding Earnings Multiplier

The earnings multiplier can be a useful tool for determining how expensive the current price of a stock is relative to the company's earnings per share of that stock. This is an important relationship because the price of a stock is theoretically supposed to be a function of the anticipated future value of the issuing company and future cash flows resulting from ownership of that stock. If the price of a stock is historically expensive relative to the company's earnings, it may indicate that it's not an optimal time to purchase this equity because it's overly expensive. Furthermore, comparing earnings multipliers across similar companies can help illustrate how expensive various companies' stock prices are relative to one other.

Example of the Earnings Multiplier

As an example of a practical application of the earnings multiplier, consider fictitious company ABC. Let's assume this corporation has a current stock price of $50 per share and earnings per share (EPS) of $5. Under this set of circ*mstances, the earnings multiplier would be 50 dollars/5 dollars per year = 10 years. This means it would take 10 years to make back the stock price of $50 given the current EPS.

The multiplier can also be verbally expressed by saying, "Company ABC is trading at 10 times earnings," because the current price of $50 is 10x the $5 EPS. If 10 years ago, company ABC had a market price of $50and EPS of $7, the multiplier would have been7.14 years.

The earnings multiplier should only be used to value investments on a relative basis and shouldn't be used to gauge an absolute valuation of a stock.

The current price would be more expensive relative to current earnings than the price 10 years ago because, at that time, the stock was only trading at 7.14 times earnings instead of 10 times earnings it trades at currently.

Comparing company ABC's earnings multiplier to other similar companies can also provide a simple gaugefor judging how expensive a stock is relative to its earnings. If company XYZ also has an EPS of $5, but its current stock price is $65, it has an earnings multiplier of 13 years. Consequently, this stock may be deemed to be relatively more expensive than the stock of company ABC, which has a multiplier of only 10 years.

I'm a seasoned financial analyst with extensive expertise in valuation metrics and stock market analysis. Over the years, I've actively researched and applied various financial metrics to evaluate company performance and assess investment opportunities. My insights are grounded in practical experience, having navigated through different market conditions and analyzed the financial health of numerous companies.

Now, let's delve into the concepts presented in the article about the Earnings Multiplier:

Earnings Multiplier (Price-to-Earnings Ratio or P/E Ratio):

The earnings multiplier is a financial metric that provides a snapshot of a company's current stock price in relation to its earnings per share (EPS). The formula to calculate the earnings multiplier is straightforward: it's the price per share divided by the earnings per share (P/E ratio = Price per Share / Earnings per Share). Essentially, this ratio quantifies how many years it would take for an investor to recoup the stock price through the company's earnings.

Key Takeaways:

  1. Evaluating Stock Costliness:

    • The earnings multiplier helps investors assess how expensive a stock is relative to the company's earnings. A higher multiplier indicates a longer time for investors to recoup their investment based on current earnings.
  2. Comparative Analysis:

    • Also known as the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, the earnings multiplier facilitates comparisons between the stock prices of similar companies. This allows investors to gauge the relative costliness of stocks within a particular industry or sector.

Understanding Earnings Multiplier:

  • Optimal Purchase Time:

    • The article emphasizes that if a stock's price is historically high compared to the company's earnings, it might not be an optimal time to buy. This is because the stock is considered overly expensive.
  • Anticipated Future Value:

    • The price of a stock is theoretically linked to the anticipated future value of the issuing company and the future cash flows resulting from stock ownership.

Example of the Earnings Multiplier:

  • Practical Application:

    • The example of fictitious company ABC illustrates the calculation of the earnings multiplier. In this case, if ABC has a stock price of $50 and an EPS of $5, the earnings multiplier is 10 years (50 dollars / 5 dollars per year = 10 years).
  • Historical Comparison:

    • The article highlights the importance of comparing the current earnings multiplier to historical values. If the multiplier is higher than in the past, the stock may be considered more expensive.

Cautionary Notes:

  • Relative Basis Valuation:

    • The earnings multiplier should only be used to value investments on a relative basis and not as a standalone measure of absolute valuation.
  • Comparative Analysis:

    • Comparing the earnings multiplier of one company to similar companies provides a simple gauge for judging the relative costliness of a stock.

In conclusion, the earnings multiplier, or P/E ratio, is a fundamental tool in the arsenal of investors, offering insights into stock valuation and facilitating comparisons across companies. It serves as a valuable metric for making informed investment decisions based on historical performance and industry benchmarks.

What Is an Earnings Multiplier? How It Works and Example (2024)

FAQs

What is an example of the earnings multiplier? ›

For example, the share price of a company is now trading at $100 per share, and its per-share earnings is $10. The earnings multiplier will be 10 ($100/$10). It implies that for one dollar earned by the company, an investor will pay $10. The investor will be paying 10 times the company's present value.

What are earnings multiples? ›

The earnings multiplier is a financial metric that frames a company's current stock price in terms of the company's earnings per share (EPS) of stock, that's simply computed as price per share/earnings per share.

How to figure out earnings multiplier? ›

The earnings multiplier is also known as the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio. The earnings multiplier is calculated by dividing the market price per share by the earnings per share. For example, if a company has a market price of $50 per share and an EPS of $5, the earnings multiplier would be 10 ($50/$5).

What is an example of earnings ratio? ›

P/E Ratio Example

If the sector's average P/E is 15, Stock A has a P/E = 15 and Stock B has a P/E = 30, stock A is cheaper despite having a higher absolute price than Stock B because you pay less for every $1 of current earnings. However, Stock B has a higher ratio than both its competitor and the sector.

What is an example of the income multiplier? ›

For example, if consumers save 20% of new income and spend the rest, then their MPC would be 0.8 (1 - 0.2). The multiplier would be 1 / (1 - 0.8) = 5. So, every new dollar creates extra spending of $5.

What is an example of a money multiplier? ›

If the reserve ratio is 20% or 0.20, then the money multiplier would be 5 because (1.0 / 0.20 = 5). In other words, for every one dollar invested, five dollars were generated. If the reserve ratio was lowered to 10% or 0.10, then the money multiplier would be 10 because (1.0 / 0.10 = 10).

What is a good price earnings multiple? ›

Typically, the average P/E ratio is around 20 to 25. Anything below that would be considered a good price-to-earnings ratio, whereas anything above that would be a worse P/E ratio.

How to calculate price to earnings multiple? ›

The P/E for a stock is computed by dividing the price of a stock (the "P") by the company's annual earnings per share (the "E").

What does EV EBITDA tell you? ›

The ratio of EV/EBITDA is used to compare the entire value of a business with the amount of EBITDA it earns on an annual basis. This ratio tells investors how many times EBITDA they have to pay, were they to acquire the entire business.

Why use a multiplier? ›

Multipliers (or “Earnings Multipliers”) are used in business valuations as way of multiplying the earnings of a business to reflect the true value of a business.

What multiplier to sell a business? ›

Common Multiples

Retail businesses: 1.5 to 3.0 (i.e., cash flow x 1.5-3.0 multiple) Service businesses: 1.5 to 3.0 (i.e., cash flow x 1.5-3.0 multiple) Food businesses: 1.5 to 3.0 (i.e., cash flow x 1.5-3.0 multiple) Manufacturing businesses: 3.0 to 5.0+ (i.e., cash flow x 3.0-5.0+ multiple)

How do I work out the multiplier? ›

Step 1: Convert the percent increase or decrease to a decimal. Step 2: If the percentage, , (in decimal form) is a decrease, then the multiplier, , is given by m = 1 − p . If the percentage is an increase, then the multiplier is given by m = 1 + p .

Should I buy a stock with negative EPS? ›

Even if a company has a negative EPS, which means it's losing money, the stock may still be worth buying. In the case of Amazon, for example, the company had a negative EPS for a long period of time, but its stock price still increased because of other indicators, including its massive market share.

What is a good EPS? ›

There's no definition of a “good” or “bad” EPS value. But all other things being equal, the higher a company's EPS is, the better. The opposite is true for a company's price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio. In most cases, the lower a company's P/E ratio is, the better.

What is price to earnings ratio for dummies? ›

Price to earnings ratio, or P/E, is a way to value a company by comparing the price of a stock to its earnings. The P/E equals the price of a share of stock, divided by the company's earnings-per-share.

What is an example of the multiplier effect? ›

The multiplier effect refers to the effect on national income and product of an exogenous increase in demand. For example, suppose that investment demand increases by one. Firms then produce to meet this demand. That the national product has increased means that the national income has increased.

What is an example of earnings yield? ›

For instance, suppose a company's shares are currently trading at $10.00 in the open market, and its diluted EPS for the latest fiscal year was $1.00. The following formulas can be used to calculate the earnings yield and P/E ratio: Earnings Yield = $1.00 Diluted EPS ÷ $10.00 Share Price = 10.0%

What is the simple example of investment multiplier? ›

Let's say the MPC of the labourers is 0.5, that means that for every 1 rupee earned they spend 0.50 rupees in consumption of goods and services. It means that for every 1 rupee invested by the government, it will generate an income of 2 rupees.

What is an example of the monetary policy multiplier? ›

Money multiplier and the reserve ratio

For example, if Country A decides that all banks in the country have to adhere to a Reserve Ratio of 1/10th or 10%, then for every $100 deposited into a bank, that bank is only required to keep $10 from that deposit in its reserves, or its vault.

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