The UAE stock markets have maintained their competitive edge in the Gulf and Middle East region, with their average Price Earnings Ratio (P/E Ratio) standing at 12.1 times over the past 12 months, a media report said.

The most popular metric of stock analysis, the P/E Ratio is the relationship between a company’s stock price and earnings per share (EPS), with long-term investors commonly using the ratio and the dividend yield as asset allocation signals, reported Emirates news agency Wam, citing statistics of the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and Dubai Financial Market.

Thanks to the significant dividends announced by listed companies for their shareholders, UAE stocks are expected to lure more investors and facilitate more capital inflows to the market.

Consumer services topped the list of most attractive platforms, with a P/E ratio of 8.66 times, followed by the realty sector, 9.85 times, the contracting, 9.89 times, and then banking, 10.30 times.

The P/E ratio is calculated as a stock’s current share price divided by its EPS for a twelve-month period, usually the last 12 months, also called the trailing 12 months. Most of the P/E ratios for publicly traded stocks are an expression of the stock’s current price compared with its previous 12 months’ earnings.