A Sliding Share Price Has Us Looking At EVERTEC, Inc.'s (NYSE:EVTC) P/E Ratio
To the annoyance of some shareholders, EVERTEC (NYSE:EVTC) shares are down a considerable 30% in the last month. The recent drop has obliterated the annual return, with the share price now down 30% over that longer period.
Assuming nothing else has changed, a lower share price makes a stock more 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). The implication here is that long term investors have an opportunity when expectations of a company are too low. 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). Investors have optimistic expectations of companies with higher P/E ratios, compared to companies with lower P/E ratios.
See our latest analysis for EVERTEC
How Does EVERTEC's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?
We can tell from its P/E ratio of 14.13 that sentiment around EVERTEC isn't particularly high. We can see in the image below that the average P/E (23.7) for companies in the it industry is higher than EVERTEC's P/E.
EVERTEC'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. If you consider the stock interesting, further research is recommended. For example, I often monitor director buying and selling.
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. And in that case, the P/E ratio itself will drop rather quickly. So while a stock may look expensive based on past earnings, it could be cheap based on future earnings.
It's great to see that EVERTEC grew EPS by 21% in the last year. And its annual EPS growth rate over 5 years is 11%. With that performance, you might expect an above average 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. 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.
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 EVERTEC's P/E?
EVERTEC's net debt equates to 30% of its market capitalization. While it's worth keeping this in mind, it isn't a worry.
The Verdict On EVERTEC's P/E Ratio
EVERTEC's P/E is 14.1 which is above average (12.4) in its market. The company is not overly constrained by its modest debt levels, and its recent EPS growth very solid. Therefore, it's not particularly surprising that it has a above average P/E ratio. What can be absolutely certain is that the market has become significantly less optimistic about EVERTEC over the last month, with the P/E ratio falling from 20.3 back then to 14.1 today. For those who prefer to invest with the flow of momentum, that might be a bad sign, but for a contrarian, it may signal opportunity.
Investors have an opportunity when market expectations about a stock are wrong. People often underestimate remarkable growth -- so investors can make money when fast growth is not fully appreciated. So this free visual report on analyst forecasts could hold the key to an excellent investment decision.
But note: EVERTEC may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a P/E ratio 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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