Yahoo Finance A Sliding Share Price Has Us Looking At Hilton Grand Vacations Inc.'s (NYSE:HGV) P/E Ratio
To the annoyance of some shareholders, Hilton Grand Vacations (NYSE:HGV) shares are down a considerable 67% in the last month. Given the 67% 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. So, on certain occasions, long term focussed investors try to take advantage of pessimistic expectations to buy shares at a better price. One way to gauge market expectations of a stock 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.
See our latest analysis for Hilton Grand Vacations
How Does Hilton Grand Vacations's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?
We can tell from its P/E ratio of 4.33 that sentiment around Hilton Grand Vacations isn't particularly high. If you look at the image below, you can see Hilton Grand Vacations has a lower P/E than the average (9.8) in the hospitality industry classification.
This suggests that market participants think Hilton Grand Vacations will underperform other companies in its industry. Since the market seems unimpressed with Hilton Grand Vacations, it's quite possible it could surprise on the upside. 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. If earnings are growing quickly, then the 'E' in the equation will increase faster than it would otherwise. Therefore, even if you pay a high multiple of earnings now, that multiple will become lower in the future. A lower P/E should indicate the stock is cheap relative to others -- and that may attract buyers.
Hilton Grand Vacations's earnings per share fell by 21% in the last twelve months. But it has grown its earnings per share by 7.6% per year over the last five years.
A Limitation: P/E Ratios Ignore Debt and Cash In The Bank
The 'Price' in P/E reflects the market capitalization of the company. So it won't reflect the advantage of cash, or disadvantage of debt. Theoretically, a business can improve its earnings (and produce a lower P/E in the future) by investing in growth. That means taking on debt (or spending its cash).
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.
Hilton Grand Vacations's Balance Sheet
Net debt totals a substantial 167% of Hilton Grand Vacations'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 Verdict On Hilton Grand Vacations's P/E Ratio
Hilton Grand Vacations trades on a P/E ratio of 4.3, which is below the US market average of 11.8. When you consider that the company has significant debt, and didn't grow EPS last year, it isn't surprising that the market has muted expectations. What can be absolutely certain is that the market has become more pessimistic about Hilton Grand Vacations over the last month, with the P/E ratio falling from 13.3 back then to 4.3 today. 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. As value investor Benjamin Graham famously said, 'In the short run, the market is a voting machine but in the long run, it is a weighing machine. 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.
But note: Hilton Grand Vacations 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.
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.
