Yahoo Finance A Rising Share Price Has Us Looking Closely At Microchip Technology Incorporated's (NASDAQ:MCHP) P/E Ratio
Microchip Technology (NASDAQ:MCHP) shareholders are no doubt pleased to see that the share price has bounced 35% in the last month alone, although it is still down 27% over the last quarter. But shareholders may not all be feeling jubilant, since the share price is still down 19% in the last year.
Assuming no other changes, a sharply higher share price makes a stock less attractive to potential buyers. 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. Perhaps the simplest way to get a read on investors' expectations of a business is to look at its Price to Earnings Ratio (PE Ratio). A high P/E ratio means that investors have a high expectation about future growth, while a low P/E ratio means they have low expectations about future growth.
See our latest analysis for Microchip Technology
Does Microchip Technology Have A Relatively High Or Low P/E For Its Industry?
Microchip Technology has a P/E ratio of 29.65. You can see in the image below that the average P/E (29.6) for companies in the semiconductor industry is roughly the same as Microchip Technology's P/E.
Its P/E ratio suggests that Microchip Technology shareholders think that in the future it will perform about the same as other companies in its industry classification. The company could surprise by performing better than average, in the future. Checking factors such as director buying and selling. could help you form your own view on if that will happen.
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. If earnings are growing quickly, then the 'E' in the equation will increase faster than it would otherwise. Therefore, even if you pay a high multiple of earnings now, that multiple will become lower in the future. And as that P/E ratio drops, the company will look cheap, unless its share price increases.
Microchip Technology's 95% EPS improvement over the last year was like bamboo growth after rain; rapid and impressive. And earnings per share have improved by 79% annually, over the last three years. So we'd absolutely expect it to have a relatively high P/E ratio.
Remember: P/E Ratios Don't Consider The Balance Sheet
It's important to note that the P/E ratio considers the market capitalization, not the enterprise value. 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 expenditure might be good or bad, in the long term, but the point here is that the balance sheet is not reflected by this ratio.
Microchip Technology's Balance Sheet
Microchip Technology's net debt equates to 48% of its market capitalization. While that's enough to warrant consideration, it doesn't really concern us.
The Bottom Line On Microchip Technology's P/E Ratio
Microchip Technology trades on a P/E ratio of 29.6, which is above its market average of 13.6. While the company does use modest debt, its recent earnings growth is superb. So on this analysis a high P/E ratio seems reasonable. What is very clear is that the market has become significantly more optimistic about Microchip Technology over the last month, with the P/E ratio rising from 22.0 back then to 29.6 today. If you like to buy stocks that have recently impressed the market, then this one might be a candidate; but if you prefer to invest when there is 'blood in the streets', then you may feel the opportunity has passed.
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 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.
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.
