In practice, a common way to value a share of stock when a company pays dividends is to value the dividends over the next five years or so, then find the "terminal" stock price using a benchmark PE ratio. Suppose a company just paid a dividend of $1.17. The dividends are expected to grow at 12 percent over the next five years. The company has a payout ratio of 40 percent and a benchmark PE of 19. The required return is 12 percent. What is the target stock price in five years?

What is the stock price today?

A pay-out ratio is computed by dividing dividends per share over earnings per share. Meanwhile, PE or Price-Earnings Ratio is computed by dividing the market value of stocks over earnings per share. Thus, using the pay-out ratio formula, the earnings per share is 2.925 ($1.17/40%) and using the PE ratio formula, the market price of stocks today is $55.575 (19 x 2.925). After 5 years, multiplying 1.17 and 12% rate raised to the 5th power, the dividend will amount to $5.1548. Using pay-out ratio, earnings per share is 5.1548 ($2.0619/40%) and the market price of stock after 5 years is $97.94 ($5.1548 x 19).