Why Is the Price/earnings Ratio a Common and Popular Technique

question 67

Essay

Why is the price/earnings ratio a common and popular technique for evaluating stocks? Why do fast growing firms have higher P/E ratios? What is a long-run average P/E ratio for larger publicly traded firms in the United States? What are some limitations to using this technique to evaluate stock prices?

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Definitions:

Fixed Manufacturing Overhead

Costs associated with production that do not vary with the level of output, such as depreciation of machinery and the salary of the factory manager.

Job Cost

The total cost of labor, materials, and overhead allocated to a specific job or project.

Predetermined Overhead Rate

A rate used to allocate manufacturing overhead to individual products or job orders, calculated before the accounting period begins based on estimated costs and activity levels.

Direct Labor-hours

Refers to the total hours worked by employees who are directly involved in the production process, directly affecting the manufacturing of goods.