1. First
understand
basics
What Is Forward Price-to-Earnings (Forward P/E)?
- Forward price-to-earnings (forward P/E) is a version of the
ratio of price-to-earnings (P/E) that uses forecasted earnings for
the P/E calculation. While the earnings used in this formula are
just an estimate and not as reliable as current or historical
earnings data, there is still benefit in estimated P/E
analysis.
- P/ E = current share price ÷ estimated future earning per
share
- For example, assume that a company has a current share price of
$50 and this year’s earnings per share are $5. Analysts estimate
that the company's earnings will grow by 10% over the next fiscal
year. The company has a current P/E ratio of $50 / 5 = 10x.
- The forward P/E, on the other hand, would be $50 / (5 x 1.10) =
9.1x. Note that the forward P/E is smaller than the current P/E
since the forward P/E accounts for future earnings growth relative
to today's share price.
2.
What Does Forward Price-to-Earnings Reveal?
- Analysts like to think of the P/E ratio as a price tag on
earnings. It is used to calculate a relative value based on a
company's level of earnings. In theory, $1 of earnings at company A
is worth the same as $1 of earnings at company B. If this is the
case, both companies should also be trading at the same price, but
this is rarely the case.
- If company A is trading for $5, and company B is trading for
$10, this implies that the market values company B's earnings more.
There can be various interpretations as to why company B is valued
more. It could mean that company B's earnings are overvalued. It
could also mean that company B deserves a premium on the value of
its earnings due to superior management and a better business
model.
- When calculating the trailing P/E ratio, analysts compare
today's price against earnings for the last 12 months, or the last
fiscal year. However, both are based on historical prices. Analysts
use earnings estimates to determine what the relative value of the
company will be at a future level of earnings. The forward P/E
estimates the relative value of the earnings.
2. For example, if the current price
of company B is $10, and earnings are estimated to double next year
to $2, the forward P/E ratio is 5x, or half the value of the
company when it made $1 in earnings. If the forward P/E ratio is
lower than the current P/E ratio, this implies that analysts are
expecting earnings to increase. If the forward P/E is higher than
the current P/E ratio, analysts expect a decrease in earnings.
3. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
Forward P/E vs. Trailing P/E
- Forward P/E uses projected EPS. Meanwhile, trailing P/E relies
on past performance by dividing the current share price by the
total EPS earnings over the past 12 months. Trailing P/E is the
most popular P/E metric because it's the most objective—assuming
the company reported earnings accurately. Some investors prefer to
look at the trailing P/E because they don't trust another
individual’s earnings estimates.
- However, trailing P/E also has its share of
shortcomings—namely, a company’s past performance does not signal
future behavior. Investors should thus commit money based on future
earnings power, not the past. The fact that the EPS number remains
constant while the stock prices fluctuate is also a problem. If a
major company event drives the stock price significantly higher or
lower, the trailing P/E will be less reflective of those
changes.
4. Limitations of Forward P/E
- Since forward P/E relies on estimated future earnings, it is
subject to miscalculation and/or analysts' bias. There are other
inherent problems with the forward P/E also. Companies could
underestimate earnings to beat the consensus estimate P/E when the
next quarter's earnings are announced.
- Other companies may overstate the estimate and later adjust it
going into their next earnings announcement. Furthermore, external
analysts may also provide estimates, which may diverge from the
company estimates, creating confusion.
- If you're using forward P/E as the central basis of your
investment thesis, research the companies thoroughly. If the
company updates its guidance, this will affect the forward P/E in a
way that might cause you to change your opinion. It is good
practice to use both forward and trailing P/E to come to a more
trustworthy figure.
5. How to Calculate Forward P/E in Excel
- You can calculate a company's forward P/E for the next fiscal
year in Microsoft Excel. As shown above, the formula for the
forward P/E is simply a company's market price per share divided by
its expected earnings per share. In Microsoft Excel, first increase
the widths of columns A, B, and C by right-clicking on each of the
columns and left-clicking on "Column Width" and change the value to
30.
- Assume you wanted to compare the forward P/E ratio between two
companies in the same sector. Enter the name of the first company
into cell B1 and the name of the second company into cell C1.
Then:
- Enter "Market Price per Share" into cell A2, and the
corresponding values for the companies' market price per share into
cells B2 and C2.
- Next, enter "Forward Earnings per Share" into cell A3, and the
corresponding value for the companies' expected EPS for the next
fiscal year into cells B3 and C3.
- Then, enter "Forward Price to Earnings Ratio" into cell
A4.
3. For example, assume company ABC is
currently trading at $50 and has an expected EPS of $2.60. Enter
"Company ABC" into cell B1. Next, enter "=50" into cell B2 and
"=2.6" into cell B3. Then, enter "=B2/B3" into cell B4. The
resulting forward P/E ratio for company ABC is 19.23.
On the other hand, company DEF currently has a market value per
share of $30 and has an expected EPS of $1.80. Enter "Company DEF"
into cell C1. Next, enter "=30" into cell C2 and "=1.80" into cell
C3. Then, enter "=C2/C3" into cell C4. The resulting forward P/E
for company DEF is 16.67.
- Since company ABC has a higher forward P/E ratio than company
DEF, this indicates that investors expect higher earnings in the
future from company ABC than company DEF.
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Related Terms
- Trailing Price-To-Earnings (Trailing P/E) Definition
- Trailing price-to-earnings (P/E) is is calculated by taking the
current stock price and dividing it by the trailing earnings per
share (EPS) for the past 12 months. more
Price-to-Earnings Ratio – P/E Ratio
- The price-to-earnings ratio (P/E ratio) is defined as a ratio
for valuing a company that measures its current share price
relative to its per-share earnings. more
Forward Earnings
- Forward earnings are an estimate of a company's next period's
earnings, usually to the end of the current fiscal year, sometimes
to the following year. more
Dividend Payout Ratio Definition
- The dividend payout ratio is the measure of dividends paid out
to shareholders relative to the company's net income. more
Why the Price/Earnings-to-Growth Ratio Matters
- The price/earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio is a company's stock
price to earnings ratio divided by the growth rate of its earnings
for a specified time period. more
What Is a Price Multiple?
- A price multiple is any ratio that uses the share price of a
company in conjunction with some specific per-share financial
metric for a valuation measure.