Definition: Earnings per share or EPS is an important financial measure, which indicates the profitability of a company. It is calculated by dividing the company’s net income with its total number of outstanding shares. It is a tool that market participants use frequently to gauge the profitability of a company before buying its shares.
Description: EPS is the portion of a company’s profit that is allocated to every individual share of the stock. It is a term that is of much importance to investors and people who trade in the stock market. The higher the earnings per share of a company, the better is its profitability. While calculating the EPS, it is advisable to use the weighted ratio, as the number of shares outstanding can change over time.
Earnings per share can be calculated in two ways:
1) Earnings per share: Net Income after Tax/Total Number of Outstanding Shares
2) Weighted earnings per share: (Net Income after Tax - Total Dividends)/Total Number of Outstanding Shares
A more diluted version of the ratio also includes convertible shares as well as warrants under outstanding shares. It is considered to be a more expanded version of the basic earnings per share ratio.
For an investor who is primarily interested in a steady source of income, the EPS ratio can tell him/her the room a company has for increasing its existing dividend. Although, EPS is very important and crucial tool for investors, it should not be looked at in isolation. EPS of a company should always be considered in relation to other companies in order to make a more informed and prudent investment decision.
