Why is EPS Important to Investors?

Understanding EPS

Earnings per Share or EPS is the portion of a company’s profit that is allocated to each individual outstanding share.

Many times the question that investors have in mind is, “In what way is EPS useful to me as an investor?”. We will try to answer that question today.

Why is EPS Important to Investors?

EPS is an important metric for an investor due to following reasons:

A Measure of Profitability

Earnings per share as a metric are extremely important to measure a company’s profitability. In fact, in the entire subject of fundamental analysis, EPS is the only metric that isolates net income to find out what the shareholders are gaining by investing in the company. As a layman, we understand that a company is in the market to do business & make profits, and the investors invest in companies to be a part of the company’s profitability. A consistently growing EPS means that the investor is getting a share of the company’s growing profits consistently. Growing EPS also indicates that the company is creating value for its investors. In contrast, a consistently falling or negative EPS indicates financial trouble, low profitability or consistent losses, & eroding investor value.

EPS answers two primary questions for the investors. The first is “how much profit per outstanding share does a company make?” and the second is “how much profit is accrued to a shareholder?”

An Indicator of Dividend Payout

Dividends are a portion of a company’s profits that the shareholders receive as a return on their investment. Many investors like the steady income associated with dividends. Investors also view dividends as a positive sign & strong growth in the future for the company. The company can only give dividends if it has excess earnings per share. Even though there is no direct relation between dividend payout and earnings per share, it is commonly seen that only those companies that have consistently stable or growing EPS pay dividends to their shareholders. Though dividends are very subjective & many things are considered before dividend payout; investors who are looking for dividend income should look at the company’s EPS before investing.

Importance of EPS to Investors

A Determinant of the P/E ratio

Beyond profitability, what interests investors is knowing the value that a particular share brings to their portfolio. P/E ratio can help investors in valuing the shareholding. The key determinant of the P/E ratio is EPS.

P/E ratio = Price per Equity Share/ Earnings per Share

Let’s understand how EPS is important to this metric. Suppose company A has one equity share priced at USD 100, and its EPS for the year 2017 is USD 20. So its P/E ratio will be 100/20 = 5. This means at current profitability; it will take 5 years for the company to earn its market price per equity share. In other words, investors will have to keep their investment in the company for 5 years to recover their investment. Now let’s take company B; its market price per equity share is USD 1000 & its EPS is USD 100, so its P/E ratio will be 1000/100 = 10. This means the investors will have to stay invested for 10 years to recover their investment in the company.

Had we looked at the EPS alone, company B looks better at an EPS of USD 100 than company A which has an EPS of USD 20. But looking at the P/E ratio, company A looks like a much better bet at a much faster return on investment.

Key Takeaway

Earnings per share is a common financial ratio. It is very easily accessible to investors as the company gives EPS figures on its annual reports. It is also usually the first ratio that investors look at because of its ease of understanding and indication of profitability. Despite its simplicity ESP as a metric is extremely powerful and concentrates crucial information in a single number. It allows investors to compare investments across sectors, industries, and to an extent also with alternative investments. It also helps to chart the financial performance of a particular company over time. This helps investors to make informed decisions.

Also Read: Earnings Per Share

Though one must do a complete fundamental and market analysis before investing in a company, we can say that EPS as a metric by itself is also quite telling about the profitability & value of the company and can give investors a head start to sort the profitable companies from the nonprofitable ones.

Read more about EARNINGS PER SHARE.



Sanjay Borad

Sanjay Bulaki Borad

MBA-Finance, CMA, CS, Insolvency Professional, B'Com

Sanjay Borad, Founder of eFinanceManagement, is a Management Consultant with 7 years of MNC experience and 11 years in Consultancy. He caters to clients with turnovers from 200 Million to 12,000 Million, including listed entities, and has vast industry experience in over 20 sectors. Additionally, he serves as a visiting faculty for Finance and Costing in MBA Colleges and CA, CMA Coaching Classes.

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