Final answer:
To find the likely price of the stock, calculate the new earnings per share by multiplying the previous earnings per share by 1.25. Then, use the P/E ratio to find the likely stock price by multiplying the P/E ratio with the earnings per share. The likely price of the stock this year is $252.00.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the likely price of the stock, we first need to calculate the earnings for this year. Since the earnings increased by 25 percent, we can calculate the new earnings per share by multiplying the previous earnings per share by 1.25.
New Earnings per Share = $8.40 x 1.25 = $10.50
Next, we can use the P/E ratio to find the likely price of the stock. The P/E ratio is the price-to-earnings ratio, which represents the price investors are willing to pay for each dollar of earnings.
P/E Ratio = Stock Price / Earnings per Share
Since the P/E ratio remains constant, we can use the previous P/E ratio to calculate the likely stock price this year.
Stock Price = P/E Ratio x Earnings per Share
Substituting the values, we get:
Stock Price = $201.60 x ($10.50 / $8.40) = $252.00
Therefore, the likely price of the stock this year is $252.00.