Does Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) Have A Good P/E Ratio?

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This article is written for those who want to get better at using price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). We'll show how you can use Brinker International, Inc.'s (NYSE:EAT) P/E ratio to inform your assessment of the investment opportunity. Brinker International has a price to earnings ratio of 12.54, based on the last twelve months. That is equivalent to an earnings yield of about 8.0%.

View our latest analysis for Brinker International

How Do I Calculate A Price To Earnings Ratio?

The formula for P/E is:

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

Or for Brinker International:

P/E of 12.54 = $44.94 ÷ $3.58 (Based on the year 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

Companies that shrink earnings per share quickly will rapidly decrease the 'E' in the equation. Therefore, even if you pay a low multiple of earnings now, that multiple will become higher in the future. Then, a higher P/E might scare off shareholders, pushing the share price down.

Notably, Brinker International grew EPS by a whopping 35% in the last year. And its annual EPS growth rate over 5 years is 4.5%. I'd therefore be a little surprised if its P/E ratio was not relatively high. In contrast, EPS has decreased by 3.4%, annually, over 3 years.

How Does Brinker International'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 Brinker International has a lower P/E than the average (23.4) in the hospitality industry classification.

This suggests that market participants think Brinker International will underperform other companies in its industry. Many investors like to buy stocks when the market is pessimistic about their prospects. It is arguably worth checking if insiders are buying shares, because that might imply they believe the stock is undervalued.

Don't Forget: The P/E Does Not Account For Debt or Bank Deposits

It's important to note that the P/E ratio considers the market capitalization, not the enterprise value. In other words, it does not consider any debt or cash that the company may have on the balance sheet. 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 Brinker International's Debt Impact Its P/E Ratio?

Net debt totals 75% of Brinker International's market cap. If you want to compare its P/E ratio to other companies, you should absolutely keep in mind it has significant borrowings.

The Verdict On Brinker International's P/E Ratio

Brinker International has a P/E of 12.5. That's below the average in the US market, which is 17.8. The company has a meaningful amount of debt on the balance sheet, but that should not eclipse the solid earnings growth. If the company can continue to grow earnings, then the current P/E may be unjustifiably low.