Yahoo Finance How Does Innoviva's (NASDAQ:INVA) P/E Compare To Its Industry, After Its Big Share Price Gain?
Those holding Innoviva (NASDAQ:INVA) shares must be pleased that the share price has rebounded 48% in the last thirty days. But unfortunately, the stock is still down by 9.2% over a quarter. Longer term shareholders are no doubt thankful for the recovery in the share price, since it's pretty much flat for the year, even after the recent pop.
All else being equal, a sharp share price increase should make a stock less attractive to potential investors. In the long term, share prices tend to follow earnings per share, but in the short term prices bounce around in response to short term factors (which are not always obvious). So some would prefer to hold off buying when there is a lot of optimism towards a stock. One way to gauge market expectations of a stock is to look at its Price to Earnings Ratio (PE Ratio). Investors have optimistic expectations of companies with higher P/E ratios, compared to companies with lower P/E ratios.
See our latest analysis for Innoviva
Does Innoviva Have A Relatively High Or Low P/E For Its Industry?
Innoviva's P/E of 8.42 indicates relatively low sentiment towards the stock. The image below shows that Innoviva has a lower P/E than the average (22.6) P/E for companies in the pharmaceuticals industry.
This suggests that market participants think Innoviva will underperform other companies in its industry. While current expectations are low, the stock could be undervalued if the situation is better than the market assumes. You should delve deeper. I like to check if company insiders have been buying or selling.
How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios
Generally speaking the rate of earnings growth has a profound impact on a company's P/E multiple. That's because companies that grow earnings per share quickly will rapidly increase the 'E' in the equation. That means unless the share price increases, the P/E will reduce in a few years. A lower P/E should indicate the stock is cheap relative to others -- and that may attract buyers.
Innoviva's earnings per share fell by 60% in the last twelve months. But it has grown its earnings per share by 42% per year over the last three years.
Don't Forget: The P/E Does Not Account For Debt or Bank Deposits
The 'Price' in P/E reflects the market capitalization of the company. So it won't reflect the advantage of cash, or disadvantage of debt. Hypothetically, a company could reduce its future P/E ratio by spending its cash (or taking on debt) to achieve higher earnings.
Such spending might be good or bad, overall, but the key point here is that you need to look at debt to understand the P/E ratio in context.
Is Debt Impacting Innoviva's P/E?
Innoviva's net debt is 2.0% of its market cap. So it doesn't have as many options as it would with net cash, but its debt would not have much of an impact on its P/E ratio.
The Verdict On Innoviva's P/E Ratio
Innoviva's P/E is 8.4 which is below average (13.6) in the US market. The debt levels are not a major concern, but the lack of EPS growth is likely weighing on sentiment. What we know for sure is that investors are becoming less uncomfortable about Innoviva's prospects, since they have pushed its P/E ratio from 5.7 to 8.4 over the last month. For those who like to invest in turnarounds, that might mean it's time to put the stock on a watchlist, or research it. But others might consider the opportunity to have passed.
When the market is wrong about a stock, it gives savvy investors an opportunity. If it is underestimating a company, investors can make money by buying and holding the shares until the market corrects itself. So this free visual report on analyst forecasts could hold the key to an excellent investment decision.
Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates. So take a peek at this free list of companies with modest (or no) debt, trading on a P/E below 20.
If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.
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