P/E Ratio by Sector: Live Valuation Ratios by Industry (P/E, P/S, P/B, EV/EBITDA)
A P/E of 15 is expensive for a bank and cheap for a software company. A ratio only means something next to its own sector. The tables on this page show the lower quartile, median and upper quartile for every sector from our database of more than 35,000 valued stocks, updated daily with prices.
P/E ratio by sector
The price/earnings ratio divides the share price by earnings per share. Banks, real estate and energy traditionally trade at low P/E ratios, health care and technology at high ones, because the market expects more growth there. A P/E near the median of its own sector is usual; well below or above it calls for a reason in the business model.
| Sector | Lower quartile | Median | Upper quartile | Stocks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financials | 8.9 | 12.8 | 20.0 | 2,687 |
| Real Estate | 7.8 | 12.9 | 25.0 | 1,253 |
| Energy | 9.8 | 15.8 | 27.9 | 632 |
| Consumer Staples | 11.5 | 17.5 | 28.4 | 1,262 |
| Utilities | 10.9 | 17.6 | 26.7 | 538 |
| Communication Services | 10.4 | 17.7 | 35.5 | 646 |
| Consumer Discretionary | 11.3 | 18.9 | 33.5 | 2,553 |
| Materials | 11.8 | 19.4 | 36.0 | 2,193 |
| Industrials | 12.6 | 21.5 | 38.8 | 3,836 |
| Health Care | 14.6 | 24.2 | 43.5 | 1,324 |
| Information Technology | 16.6 | 29.7 | 59.5 | 2,178 |
Source: the Fair Value Calculator database, 19,102 stocks with a valid value for P/E ratio, as of Sep 5, 2026. Median: half of the sector's stocks sit below it. Lower and upper quartile: 25 % sit below or above. Values move daily with prices.
Calculate it yourself: P/E ratio calculator with formula and example.
P/S ratio by sector
The price-to-sales ratio helps with companies that have no profits yet. High-margin software trades at a multiple of sales, thin-margin retail far below it.
| Sector | Lower quartile | Median | Upper quartile | Stocks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consumer Staples | 0.27 | 0.67 | 1.73 | 1,504 |
| Consumer Discretionary | 0.26 | 0.76 | 1.82 | 3,279 |
| Communication Services | 0.35 | 0.89 | 2.31 | 1,005 |
| Industrials | 0.38 | 1.05 | 2.69 | 4,738 |
| Materials | 0.39 | 1.09 | 2.89 | 2,743 |
| Energy | 0.45 | 1.33 | 2.89 | 873 |
| Information Technology | 0.49 | 1.58 | 4.18 | 3,150 |
| Utilities | 0.65 | 1.64 | 3.43 | 599 |
| Real Estate | 0.49 | 1.94 | 5.52 | 1,629 |
| Health Care | 0.68 | 2.03 | 4.86 | 2,061 |
| Financials | 1.25 | 2.77 | 4.68 | 2,864 |
Source: the Fair Value Calculator database, 24,445 stocks with a valid value for P/S ratio, as of Sep 5, 2026. Median: half of the sector's stocks sit below it. Lower and upper quartile: 25 % sit below or above. Values move daily with prices.
Calculate it yourself: P/S ratio calculator.
P/B ratio by sector
Banks and real estate are valued close to book value, asset-light technology companies far above it.
| Sector | Lower quartile | Median | Upper quartile | Stocks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real Estate | 0.32 | 0.69 | 1.27 | 1,448 |
| Financials | 0.64 | 1.09 | 1.77 | 2,885 |
| Communication Services | 0.51 | 1.21 | 2.57 | 893 |
| Energy | 0.72 | 1.33 | 2.32 | 857 |
| Consumer Staples | 0.59 | 1.35 | 2.60 | 1,414 |
| Consumer Discretionary | 0.62 | 1.37 | 2.76 | 2,987 |
| Utilities | 0.73 | 1.40 | 2.30 | 593 |
| Materials | 0.65 | 1.45 | 2.75 | 2,890 |
| Industrials | 0.68 | 1.61 | 3.18 | 4,520 |
| Health Care | 0.80 | 1.71 | 3.35 | 2,016 |
| Information Technology | 0.80 | 2.15 | 4.28 | 2,937 |
Source: the Fair Value Calculator database, 23,440 stocks with a valid value for P/B ratio, as of Sep 5, 2026. Median: half of the sector's stocks sit below it. Lower and upper quartile: 25 % sit below or above. Values move daily with prices.
Calculate it yourself: P/B ratio calculator.
EV/EBITDA by sector
Enterprise value (including debt) relative to operating earnings before depreciation: capital-intensive sectors trade at low multiples, fast-growing ones at high multiples.
| Sector | Lower quartile | Median | Upper quartile | Stocks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 3.9 | 6.5 | 11.0 | 741 |
| Consumer Staples | 4.4 | 7.8 | 12.6 | 1,239 |
| Communication Services | 4.6 | 8.0 | 14.5 | 687 |
| Consumer Discretionary | 4.7 | 8.3 | 14.7 | 2,611 |
| Materials | 4.8 | 8.6 | 15.1 | 2,244 |
| Financials | 5.2 | 9.1 | 15.3 | 2,103 |
| Utilities | 6.1 | 9.1 | 13.3 | 557 |
| Industrials | 5.7 | 10.5 | 19.1 | 3,838 |
| Health Care | 7.1 | 12.7 | 20.7 | 1,400 |
| Real Estate | 7.2 | 13.0 | 19.3 | 1,274 |
| Information Technology | 7.8 | 15.1 | 30.6 | 2,135 |
Source: the Fair Value Calculator database, 18,829 stocks with a valid value for EV/EBITDA, as of Sep 5, 2026. Median: half of the sector's stocks sit below it. Lower and upper quartile: 25 % sit below or above. Values move daily with prices.
Calculate it yourself: EV/EBITDA calculator.
Dividend yield by sector
Utilities and real estate pay out a lot, growth sectors hardly anything. A high yield is only a reason to buy when the payout is covered by cash flow.
| Sector | Lower quartile | Median | Upper quartile | Stocks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Information Technology | 0.5 % | 1.3 % | 3.2 % | 2,648 |
| Health Care | 0.6 % | 1.6 % | 3.4 % | 1,446 |
| Materials | 0.6 % | 1.7 % | 3.7 % | 2,522 |
| Industrials | 0.7 % | 1.8 % | 3.7 % | 4,197 |
| Consumer Discretionary | 0.8 % | 2.2 % | 4.7 % | 2,814 |
| Consumer Staples | 1.2 % | 2.7 % | 4.6 % | 1,342 |
| Energy | 1.1 % | 2.7 % | 5.3 % | 808 |
| Financials | 1.3 % | 2.8 % | 5.0 % | 2,498 |
| Communication Services | 1.0 % | 2.8 % | 5.6 % | 769 |
| Utilities | 1.4 % | 3.1 % | 4.7 % | 545 |
| Real Estate | 1.4 % | 3.8 % | 6.5 % | 1,373 |
Source: the Fair Value Calculator database, 20,962 stocks with a valid value for Dividend yield, as of Sep 5, 2026. Median: half of the sector's stocks sit below it. Lower and upper quartile: 25 % sit below or above. Values move daily with prices.
Calculate it yourself: Dividend yield calculator.
Return on equity by sector
Asset-light business models reach high returns on equity easily, capital-intensive ones rarely. Compare within the sector only.
| Sector | Lower quartile | Median | Upper quartile | Stocks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communication Services | -6.7 % | 2.8 % | 12.2 % | 1,166 |
| Health Care | -15.0 % | 3.6 % | 12.2 % | 2,355 |
| Real Estate | -1.1 % | 3.8 % | 9.1 % | 1,825 |
| Materials | -3.5 % | 4.0 % | 11.1 % | 3,538 |
| Energy | -3.8 % | 5.3 % | 13.0 % | 1,190 |
| Consumer Discretionary | -0.5 % | 5.4 % | 12.8 % | 3,718 |
| Information Technology | -2.9 % | 5.5 % | 13.9 % | 3,490 |
| Industrials | 0.1 % | 6.8 % | 13.7 % | 5,302 |
| Consumer Staples | 0.0 % | 7.0 % | 14.1 % | 1,734 |
| Utilities | 2.5 % | 7.9 % | 12.1 % | 667 |
| Financials | 2.9 % | 9.4 % | 14.8 % | 3,279 |
Source: the Fair Value Calculator database, 28,264 stocks with a valid value for Return on equity, as of Sep 5, 2026. Median: half of the sector's stocks sit below it. Lower and upper quartile: 25 % sit below or above. Values move daily with prices.
Calculate it yourself: Return on equity calculator.
EBIT margin by sector
Software and pharma work with high margins, retail and industrials with low ones. A benchmark without a sector is worthless.
| Sector | Lower quartile | Median | Upper quartile | Stocks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communication Services | -4.3 % | 4.4 % | 14.7 % | 1,168 |
| Information Technology | -2.6 % | 5.3 % | 13.4 % | 3,525 |
| Consumer Discretionary | 0.0 % | 5.3 % | 11.8 % | 3,738 |
| Materials | 0.0 % | 5.7 % | 13.5 % | 3,288 |
| Consumer Staples | 0.9 % | 5.9 % | 12.6 % | 1,738 |
| Industrials | 0.7 % | 6.6 % | 13.5 % | 5,303 |
| Health Care | -0.3 % | 7.4 % | 16.7 % | 2,168 |
| Energy | 0.0 % | 7.7 % | 21.0 % | 1,127 |
| Utilities | 4.6 % | 14.9 % | 25.5 % | 657 |
| Real Estate | 0.7 % | 17.8 % | 50.0 % | 1,782 |
| Financials | 9.7 % | 32.2 % | 51.6 % | 3,193 |
Source: the Fair Value Calculator database, 27,687 stocks with a valid value for EBIT margin, as of Sep 5, 2026. Median: half of the sector's stocks sit below it. Lower and upper quartile: 25 % sit below or above. Values move daily with prices.
Calculate it yourself: EBIT margin calculator.
Debt-to-equity by sector
Utilities and real estate carry more debt by nature, technology often almost none.
| Sector | Lower quartile | Median | Upper quartile | Stocks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Information Technology | 0.00 | 0.05 | 0.24 | 3,066 |
| Communication Services | 0.00 | 0.06 | 0.45 | 1,029 |
| Health Care | 0.00 | 0.07 | 0.31 | 2,026 |
| Consumer Discretionary | 0.00 | 0.08 | 0.33 | 3,463 |
| Consumer Staples | 0.01 | 0.09 | 0.37 | 1,592 |
| Materials | 0.01 | 0.10 | 0.33 | 3,076 |
| Industrials | 0.01 | 0.12 | 0.45 | 4,924 |
| Energy | 0.02 | 0.18 | 0.55 | 1,067 |
| Financials | 0.05 | 0.26 | 0.86 | 2,707 |
| Real Estate | 0.09 | 0.40 | 0.82 | 1,730 |
| Utilities | 0.16 | 0.67 | 1.35 | 643 |
Source: the Fair Value Calculator database, 25,323 stocks with a valid value for Debt-to-equity, as of Sep 5, 2026. Median: half of the sector's stocks sit below it. Lower and upper quartile: 25 % sit below or above. Values move daily with prices.
Calculate it yourself: Debt-to-equity calculator.
How to read the tables
Median: half of the sector's stocks sit below it. Lower and upper quartile: 25 percent sit below or above. The values come from our own database and move daily with prices; only stocks with a valid value are included. For a single stock, the comparison with its sector and its own history matters, not a fixed number. Not financial advice.
What is a good P/E ratio?
It depends on the sector. Below the lower quartile of its own sector a stock counts as cheaply valued, above the upper quartile as expensive. Whether that is justified is shown by growth, quality and debt.
Where does the data come from?
From the Fair Value Calculator database: prices, balance sheets and earnings of more than 35,000 stocks worldwide, updated daily. The sector tables are recalculated every night.
26 valuation models · 35,000+ stocks · evidence-based
Start free →