Yahoo Finance What Is Delek US Holdings's (NYSE:DK) P/E Ratio After Its Share Price Tanked?
To the annoyance of some shareholders, Delek US Holdings (NYSE:DK) shares are down a considerable 58% in the last month. Given the 68% drop over the last year, some shareholders might be worried that they have become bagholders. What is a bagholder? It is a shareholder who has suffered a bad loss, but continues to hold indefinitely, without questioning their reasons for holding, even as the losses grow greater.
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. 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.
View our latest analysis for Delek US Holdings
How Does Delek US Holdings's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?
Delek US Holdings's P/E of 2.86 indicates relatively low sentiment towards the stock. We can see in the image below that the average P/E (6.5) for companies in the oil and gas industry is higher than Delek US Holdings's P/E.
This suggests that market participants think Delek US Holdings will underperform other companies in its industry. Since the market seems unimpressed with Delek US Holdings, it's quite possible it could surprise on the upside. 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. 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.
Delek US Holdings's earnings per share fell by 4.4% in the last twelve months. But EPS is up 3.6% over the last 5 years.
Remember: P/E Ratios Don't Consider The Balance Sheet
The 'Price' in P/E reflects the market capitalization of the company. Thus, the metric does not reflect cash or debt held by the company. 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.
How Does Delek US Holdings's Debt Impact Its P/E Ratio?
Net debt totals a substantial 134% of Delek US Holdings's market cap. This level of debt justifies a relatively low P/E, so remain cognizant of the debt, if you're comparing it to other stocks.
The Bottom Line On Delek US Holdings's P/E Ratio
Delek US Holdings trades on a P/E ratio of 2.9, which is below the US market average of 12.2. The P/E reflects market pessimism that probably arises from the lack of recent EPS growth, paired with significant leverage. Given Delek US Holdings's P/E ratio has declined from 6.8 to 2.9 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.
Investors have an opportunity when market expectations about a stock are wrong. If the reality for a company is not as bad as the P/E ratio indicates, then the share price should increase as the market realizes this. So this free visual report on analyst forecasts could hold the key to an excellent investment decision.
You might be able to find a better buy than Delek US Holdings. 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.
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