A Sliding Share Price Has Us Looking At Selective Insurance Group, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:SIGI) P/E Ratio
Unfortunately for some shareholders, the Selective Insurance Group (NASDAQ:SIGI) share price has dived 41% in the last thirty days. That drop has capped off a tough year for shareholders, with the share price down 34% in that time.
Assuming nothing else has changed, a lower share price makes a stock more 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 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 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 Selective Insurance Group
How Does Selective Insurance Group's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?
Selective Insurance Group's P/E is 9.04. You can see in the image below that the average P/E (8.7) for companies in the insurance industry is roughly the same as Selective Insurance Group's P/E.
Its P/E ratio suggests that Selective Insurance Group shareholders think that in the future it will perform about the same as other companies in its industry classification. So if Selective Insurance Group actually outperforms its peers going forward, that should be a positive for the share price. 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
Generally speaking the rate of earnings growth has a profound impact on a company's P/E multiple. When earnings grow, the 'E' increases, over time. That means unless the share price increases, the P/E will reduce in a few years. Then, a lower P/E should attract more buyers, pushing the share price up.
In the last year, Selective Insurance Group grew EPS like Taylor Swift grew her fan base back in 2010; the 51% gain was both fast and well deserved. Even better, EPS is up 19% per year over three years. So we'd absolutely expect it to have a relatively high P/E ratio.
Don't Forget: The P/E Does Not Account For Debt or Bank Deposits
Don't forget that the P/E ratio considers market capitalization. Thus, the metric does not reflect cash or debt held by the company. In theory, a company can lower its future P/E ratio by using cash or debt to invest in growth.
Spending on growth might be good or bad a few years later, but the point is that the P/E ratio does not account for the option (or lack thereof).
How Does Selective Insurance Group's Debt Impact Its P/E Ratio?
Net debt totals 11% of Selective Insurance Group's market cap. It would probably deserve a higher P/E ratio if it was net cash, since it would have more options for growth.
The Verdict On Selective Insurance Group's P/E Ratio
Selective Insurance Group has a P/E of 9.0. That's below the average in the US market, which is 12.7. The EPS growth last year was strong, and debt levels are quite reasonable. If the company can continue to grow earnings, then the current P/E may be unjustifiably low. Given Selective Insurance Group's P/E ratio has declined from 15.3 to 9.0 in the last month, we know for sure that the market is more worried about the business today, than it was back then. 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.
Investors should be looking to buy stocks that the market is wrong about. 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 visual report on analyst forecasts could hold the key to an excellent investment decision.
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.
