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How Does Hartford Financial Services Group's (NYSE:HIG) P/E Compare To Its Industry, After The Share Price Drop?

Unfortunately for some shareholders, the Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) share price has dived 34% in the last thirty days. The recent drop has obliterated the annual return, with the share price now down 29% over that longer period.

Assuming nothing else has changed, a lower share price makes a stock more 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. 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 implies that investors have high expectations of what a company can achieve compared to a company with a low P/E ratio.

See our latest analysis for Hartford Financial Services Group

How Does Hartford Financial Services Group's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?

We can tell from its P/E ratio of 6.16 that sentiment around Hartford Financial Services Group isn't particularly high. The image below shows that Hartford Financial Services Group has a lower P/E than the average (9.2) P/E for companies in the insurance industry.

NYSE:HIG Price Estimation Relative to Market April 1st 2020
NYSE:HIG Price Estimation Relative to Market April 1st 2020

Hartford Financial Services Group's P/E tells us that market participants think it will not fare as well as its peers in the same industry. Many investors like to buy stocks when the market is pessimistic about their prospects. 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

P/E ratios primarily reflect market expectations around earnings growth rates. When earnings grow, the 'E' increases, over time. And in that case, the P/E ratio itself will drop rather quickly. Then, a lower P/E should attract more buyers, pushing the share price up.

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Hartford Financial Services Group increased earnings per share by a whopping 39% last year. And earnings per share have improved by 13% annually, over the last five years. I'd therefore be a little surprised if its P/E ratio was not relatively high.

A Limitation: P/E Ratios Ignore Debt and Cash In The Bank

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.

While growth expenditure doesn't always pay off, the point is that it is a good option to have; but one that the P/E ratio ignores.

So What Does Hartford Financial Services Group's Balance Sheet Tell Us?

Net debt totals 14% of Hartford Financial Services Group's market cap. That's enough debt to impact the P/E ratio a little; so keep it in mind if you're comparing it to companies without debt.

The Verdict On Hartford Financial Services Group's P/E Ratio

Hartford Financial Services Group's P/E is 6.2 which is below average (13.1) in the US market. The company hasn't stretched its balance sheet, and earnings growth was good last year. The low P/E ratio suggests current market expectations are muted, implying these levels of growth will not continue. What can be absolutely certain is that the market has become more pessimistic about Hartford Financial Services Group over the last month, with the P/E ratio falling from 9.3 back then to 6.2 today. For those who prefer to invest with the flow of momentum, that might be a bad sign, but for deep value investors this stock might justify some research.

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 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.