Does Augean plc’s (AIM:AUG) PE Ratio Signal A Buying Opportunity?
Augean plc (AIM:AUG) is currently trading at a trailing P/E of 15.1x, which is lower than the industry average of 20.6x. Although some investors may jump to the conclusion that this is a great buying opportunity, understanding the assumptions behind the P/E ratio might change your mind. In this article, I will explain what the P/E ratio is as well as what you should look out for when using it. See our latest analysis for AUG
Demystifying the P/E ratio
A common ratio used for relative valuation is the P/E ratio. By comparing a stock’s price per share to its earnings per share, we are able to see how much investors are paying for each pound of the company’s earnings.
P/E Calculation for AUG
Price-Earnings Ratio = Price per share ÷ Earnings per share
AUG Price-Earnings Ratio = 0.25 ÷ 0.017 = 15.1x
The P/E ratio isn’t a metric you view in isolation and only becomes useful when you compare it against other similar companies. We want to compare the stock’s P/E ratio to the average of companies that have similar characteristics as AUG, such as size and country of operation. One way of gathering a peer group is to use firms in the same industry, which is what I’ll do. At 15.1x, AUG’s P/E is lower than its industry peers (20.6x). This implies that investors are undervaluing each dollar of AUG’s earnings. As such, our analysis shows that AUG represents an under-priced stock.
Assumptions to watch out for
While our conclusion might prompt you to buy AUG immediately, there are two important assumptions you should be aware of. Firstly, our peer group contains companies that are similar to AUG. If this isn’t the case, the difference in P/E could be due to other factors. For example, if you compared higher growth firms with AUG, then its P/E would naturally be lower since investors would reward its peers’ higher growth with a higher price. The second assumption that must hold true is that the stocks we are comparing AUG to are fairly valued by the market. If this does not hold true, AUG’s lower P/E ratio may be because firms in our peer group are overvalued by the market.
What this means for you:
Are you a shareholder? You may have already conducted fundamental analysis on the stock as a shareholder, so its current undervaluation could signal a good buying opportunity to increase your exposure to AUG. Now that you understand the ins and outs of the PE metric, you should know to bear in mind its limitations before you make an investment decision.
Are you a potential investor? If AUG has been on your watch list for a while, it is best you also consider its intrinsic valuation. Looking at PE on its own will not give you the full picture of the stock as an investment, so I suggest you should also look at other relative valuation metrics like EV/EBITDA or PEG.
PE is one aspect of your portfolio construction to consider when holding or entering into a stock. But it is certainly not the only factor. Take a look at our most recent infographic report on Augean for a more in-depth analysis of the stock to help you make a well-informed investment decision. Since we know a limitation of PE is it doesn't properly account for growth, you can use our free platform to see my list of stocks with a high growth potential and see if their PE is still reasonable.
To help readers see pass the short term volatility of the financial market, we aim to bring you a long-term focused research analysis purely driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis does not factor in the latest price sensitive company announcements.
The author is an independent contributor and at the time of publication had no position in the stocks mentioned.
