How Does Globaltruck Management's (MCX:GTRK) P/E Compare To Its Industry, After Its Big Share Price Gain?
Globaltruck Management (MCX:GTRK) shares have had a really impressive month, gaining 64%, after some slippage. But shareholders may not all be feeling jubilant, since the share price is still down 37% in the last year.
Assuming no other changes, a sharply higher share price makes a stock less attractive to potential buyers. In the long term, share prices tend to follow earnings per share, but in the short term prices bounce around in response to short term factors (which are not always obvious). The implication here is that deep value investors might steer clear when expectations of a company are too high. 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.
Check out our latest analysis for Globaltruck Management
Does Globaltruck Management Have A Relatively High Or Low P/E For Its Industry?
Globaltruck Management has a P/E ratio of 11.04. You can see in the image below that the average P/E (10.6) for companies in the transportation industry is roughly the same as Globaltruck Management's P/E.
Its P/E ratio suggests that Globaltruck Management shareholders think that in the future it will perform about the same as other companies in its industry classification. The company could surprise by performing better than average, in the future. Checking factors such as director buying and selling. could help you form your own view on if that will happen.
How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios
P/E ratios primarily reflect market expectations around earnings growth rates. That's because companies that grow earnings per share quickly will rapidly increase the 'E' in the equation. That means even if the current P/E is high, it will reduce over time if the share price stays flat. And as that P/E ratio drops, the company will look cheap, unless its share price increases.
It's nice to see that Globaltruck Management grew EPS by a stonking 40% in the last year.
Remember: P/E Ratios Don't Consider The Balance Sheet
Don't forget that the P/E ratio considers market capitalization. So it won't reflect the advantage of cash, or disadvantage of debt. In theory, a company can lower its future P/E ratio by using cash or debt to invest in growth.
Such spending might be good or bad, overall, but the key point here is that you need to look at debt to understand the P/E ratio in context.
Is Debt Impacting Globaltruck Management's P/E?
Net debt is 43% of Globaltruck Management's market cap. While it's worth keeping this in mind, it isn't a worry.
The Bottom Line On Globaltruck Management's P/E Ratio
Globaltruck Management trades on a P/E ratio of 11.0, which is above its market average of 7.4. The company is not overly constrained by its modest debt levels, and its recent EPS growth is nothing short of stand-out. So on this analysis a high P/E ratio seems reasonable. What is very clear is that the market has become more optimistic about Globaltruck Management over the last month, with the P/E ratio rising from 6.7 back then to 11.0 today. 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 have an opportunity when market expectations about a stock are wrong. If the reality for a company is better than it expects, you can make money by buying and holding for the long term. So this free report on the analyst consensus forecasts could help you make a master move on this stock.
But note: Globaltruck Management 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).
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.
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. Thank you for reading.
