Yahoo Finance A Sliding Share Price Has Us Looking At Plastiques du Val de Loire's (EPA:PVL) P/E Ratio
To the annoyance of some shareholders, Plastiques du Val de Loire (EPA:PVL) shares are down a considerable 39% in the last month. Indeed the recent decline has arguably caused some bitterness for shareholders who have held through the 58% drop over twelve months.
All else being equal, a share price drop should make a stock more 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). 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). A high P/E implies that investors have high expectations of what a company can achieve compared to a company with a low P/E ratio.
View our latest analysis for Plastiques du Val de Loire
Does Plastiques du Val de Loire Have A Relatively High Or Low P/E For Its Industry?
Plastiques du Val de Loire's P/E of 3.20 indicates relatively low sentiment towards the stock. We can see in the image below that the average P/E (14.9) for companies in the chemicals industry is higher than Plastiques du Val de Loire's P/E.
Plastiques du Val de Loire's P/E tells us that market participants think it will not fare as well as its peers in the same industry. While current expectations are low, the stock could be undervalued if the situation is better than the market assumes. 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
If earnings fall then in the future the 'E' will be lower. That means even if the current P/E is low, it will increase over time if the share price stays flat. A higher P/E should indicate the stock is expensive relative to others -- and that may encourage shareholders to sell.
Plastiques du Val de Loire's earnings per share fell by 38% in the last twelve months. But EPS is up 16% over the last 5 years. And over the longer term (3 years) earnings per share have decreased 11% annually. This might lead to low expectations.
Don't Forget: The P/E Does Not Account For Debt or Bank Deposits
One drawback of using a P/E ratio is that it considers market capitalization, but not the balance sheet. That means it doesn't take debt or cash into account. 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.
So What Does Plastiques du Val de Loire's Balance Sheet Tell Us?
Net debt totals a substantial 278% of Plastiques du Val de Loire's market cap. This is a relatively high level of debt, so the stock probably deserves a relatively low P/E ratio. Keep that in mind when comparing it to other companies.
The Verdict On Plastiques du Val de Loire's P/E Ratio
Plastiques du Val de Loire's P/E is 3.2 which is below average (13.5) in the FR market. Given meaningful debt, and a lack of recent growth, the market looks to be extrapolating this recent performance; reflecting low expectations for the future. Given Plastiques du Val de Loire's P/E ratio has declined from 5.3 to 3.2 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. If it is underestimating a company, investors can make money by buying and holding the shares until the market corrects itself. So this free report on the analyst consensus forecasts could help you make a master move on this stock.
You might be able to find a better buy than Plastiques du Val de Loire. If you want a selection of possible winners, check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a P/E below 20 (but have proven they can grow earnings).
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.
