When evaluating whether to purchase public stock (i. e. an investor), what ratio should be considered to be most important and WHY

The price earnings ratio should be considered to be most important.

The reason is that the price earnings ratio indicates how much the market is ready to pay for a stock based on its current earnings.

Explanation:

The price earnings ratio is a market prospect ratio that compares the market price per share to the earnings per share to determine the market value of a stock in relation to its earnings. The P/E ratio is calculated using the following formula:

P/E ratio = Market price per share / Earnings per share

The price earnings ratio should be considered to be most important because it indicates how much the market is ready to pay for a stock based on its current earnings. It is frequently used by investors to estimate a stock's fair market value by forecasting future earnings per share. The rationale for this is that companies with larger future earnings are more likely to pay bigger dividends or have stock that appreciates in value.

The price to earnings ratio is also known as a price multiple or earnings multiple for this reason. This is because the ratio is used by investors to determine the value of a share based on its earnings multiple. In other words, how much they are willing to pay as a multiple of their incomes.