Yahoo Finance How Does FMC's (NYSE:FMC) P/E Compare To Its Industry, After Its Big Share Price Gain?
Those holding FMC (NYSE:FMC) shares must be pleased that the share price has rebounded 32% in the last thirty days. But unfortunately, the stock is still down by 14% over a quarter. Unfortunately, the full year gain of 7.7% wasn't so sweet.
Assuming no other changes, a sharply higher share price makes a stock less attractive to potential buyers. 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. 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). Investors have optimistic expectations of companies with higher P/E ratios, compared to companies with lower P/E ratios.
View our latest analysis for FMC
How Does FMC's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?
FMC's P/E of 20.88 indicates some degree of optimism towards the stock. The image below shows that FMC has a higher P/E than the average (17.2) P/E for companies in the chemicals industry.
FMC's P/E tells us that market participants think the company will perform better than its industry peers, going forward. Clearly the market expects growth, but it isn't guaranteed. So investors should delve deeper. I like to check if company insiders have been buying or selling.
How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios
Earnings growth rates have a big influence on P/E ratios. When earnings grow, the 'E' increases, over time. Therefore, even if you pay a high multiple of earnings now, that multiple will become lower in the future. Then, a lower P/E should attract more buyers, pushing the share price up.
FMC increased earnings per share by 5.4% last year. And earnings per share have improved by 13% annually, over the last five years.
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. So it won't reflect the advantage of cash, or disadvantage of debt. The exact same company would hypothetically deserve a higher P/E ratio if it had a strong balance sheet, than if it had a weak one with lots of debt, because a cashed up company can spend on growth.
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.
Is Debt Impacting FMC's P/E?
FMC has net debt equal to 26% of its market cap. You'd want to be aware of this fact, but it doesn't bother us.
The Verdict On FMC's P/E Ratio
FMC has a P/E of 20.9. That's higher than the average in its market, which is 13.6. Given the debt is only modest, and earnings are already moving in the right direction, it's not surprising that the market expects continued improvement. What we know for sure is that investors have become much more excited about FMC recently, since they have pushed its P/E ratio from 15.8 to 20.9 over the last month. 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.
Investors should be looking to buy stocks that the market is wrong about. People often underestimate remarkable growth -- so investors can make money when fast growth is not fully appreciated. So this free visualization of the analyst consensus on future earnings could help you make the right decision about whether to buy, sell, or hold.
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.
