The “A vs B” Factor – calculated simply by dividing the Class A Ratio by the Class B Ratio – indicates that there are instances when the Class B shares tend to be traded either at a (slight) premium or a discount relative to the Class A shares. There is an additional interesting point to note in the snapshot:
The seemingly-perfect Factor for the PE Ratio as of the end of March doesn’t quite imply a perfect price match across share classes. Since the Factors for the PS and PB Ratios are both below 1,500, this seems to be a minor rounding error from the data provider.
Given the PS and PB Ratios as of that day, it could be estimated that the Class B share traded at a slight premium relative to the Class A share. This is proven by actual stock prices recorded: as of closing on that day, a 1/1,500th “slice” of the Class A was 0.08% cheaper than the Class B.
On the 31st of May, the PE Ratio continues to show a perfect match across share classes while the Factors for PS and PB Ratios are 1,501.90 and 1,492.99. As of closing that day, a 1/1,500th “slice” of the Class A was 0.02% costlier than the Class B.
“Class A” Investor Behaviour Trends
In 2017, the company’s Board of Directors has approved a common stock repurchase program for both Class A and Class B shares. While there were no purchases in 2017, this program has been running in subsequent years. While the number of Class A shares has reportedly decreased over the years, the number of Class B shares have
increased. It is likely that a number of Class A holders have been exercising their right to convert to Class B shares. Assuming no other factors, the number of conversions that have taken place can be estimated thus:
