Advertisement
UK markets close in 2 hours 27 minutes
  • FTSE 100

    7,963.35
    +31.37 (+0.40%)
     
  • FTSE 250

    19,880.28
    +69.62 (+0.35%)
     
  • AIM

    743.81
    +1.70 (+0.23%)
     
  • GBP/EUR

    1.1696
    +0.0027 (+0.23%)
     
  • GBP/USD

    1.2645
    +0.0007 (+0.06%)
     
  • Bitcoin GBP

    56,009.33
    +679.73 (+1.23%)
     
  • CMC Crypto 200

    885.54
    0.00 (0.00%)
     
  • S&P 500

    5,255.06
    +6.57 (+0.13%)
     
  • DOW

    39,787.05
    +26.97 (+0.07%)
     
  • CRUDE OIL

    82.40
    +1.05 (+1.29%)
     
  • GOLD FUTURES

    2,227.30
    +14.60 (+0.66%)
     
  • NIKKEI 225

    40,168.07
    -594.66 (-1.46%)
     
  • HANG SENG

    16,541.42
    +148.58 (+0.91%)
     
  • DAX

    18,501.93
    +24.84 (+0.13%)
     
  • CAC 40

    8,222.87
    +18.06 (+0.22%)
     

What Is Johnson Matthey's (LON:JMAT) P/E Ratio After Its Share Price Tanked?

Unfortunately for some shareholders, the Johnson Matthey (LON:JMAT) share price has dived 33% in the last thirty days. That drop has capped off a tough year for shareholders, with the share price down 44% in that time.

All else being equal, a share price drop should make a stock more attractive to potential investors. While the market sentiment towards a stock is very changeable, in the long run, the share price will tend to move in the same direction as earnings per share. The implication here is that long term investors have an opportunity when expectations of a company are too low. 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.

Check out our latest analysis for Johnson Matthey

How Does Johnson Matthey's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?

We can tell from its P/E ratio of 8.78 that sentiment around Johnson Matthey isn't particularly high. The image below shows that Johnson Matthey has a lower P/E than the average (16.5) P/E for companies in the chemicals industry.

LSE:JMAT Price Estimation Relative to Market March 28th 2020
LSE:JMAT Price Estimation Relative to Market March 28th 2020

This suggests that market participants think Johnson Matthey will underperform other companies in its industry. Many investors like to buy stocks when the market is pessimistic about their prospects. It is arguably worth checking if insiders are buying shares, because that might imply they believe the stock is undervalued.

How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios

Probably the most important factor in determining what P/E a company trades on is the earnings growth. When earnings grow, the 'E' increases, over time. That means unless the share price increases, the P/E will reduce in a few years. So while a stock may look expensive based on past earnings, it could be cheap based on future earnings.

ADVERTISEMENT

It's great to see that Johnson Matthey grew EPS by 16% in the last year. And earnings per share have improved by 2.5% annually, over the last five years. So one might expect an above average P/E ratio.

Remember: P/E Ratios Don't Consider The Balance Sheet

One drawback of using a P/E ratio is that it considers market capitalization, but not the balance sheet. Thus, the metric does not reflect cash or debt held by the company. In theory, a company can lower its future P/E ratio by using cash or debt to invest in growth.

While growth expenditure doesn't always pay off, the point is that it is a good option to have; but one that the P/E ratio ignores.

Johnson Matthey's Balance Sheet

Net debt is 42% of Johnson Matthey's market cap. While that's enough to warrant consideration, it doesn't really concern us.

The Verdict On Johnson Matthey's P/E Ratio

Johnson Matthey's P/E is 8.8 which is below average (12.5) in the GB market. The company hasn't stretched its balance sheet, and earnings growth was good last year. The low P/E ratio suggests current market expectations are muted, implying these levels of growth will not continue. Given Johnson Matthey's P/E ratio has declined from 13.0 to 8.8 in the last month, we know for sure that the market is more worried about the business today, than it was back then. For those who prefer invest in growth, this stock apparently offers limited promise, but the deep value investors may find the pessimism around this stock enticing.

When the market is wrong about a stock, it gives savvy investors an opportunity. As value investor Benjamin Graham famously said, 'In the short run, the market is a voting machine but in the long run, it is a weighing machine. So this free report on the analyst consensus forecasts could help you make a master move on this stock.

Of course you might be able to find a better stock than Johnson Matthey. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have grown earnings strongly.

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.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.