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What Is Stamps.com's (NASDAQ:STMP) P/E Ratio After Its Share Price Rocketed?

It's great to see Stamps.com (NASDAQ:STMP) shareholders have their patience rewarded with a 82% share price pop in the last month. Looking back a bit further, we're also happy to report the stock is up 89% in the last year.

All else being equal, a sharp share price increase should make a stock less 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. 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 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 Stamps.com

Does Stamps.com Have A Relatively High Or Low P/E For Its Industry?

Stamps.com's P/E of 46.04 indicates some degree of optimism towards the stock. The image below shows that Stamps.com has a higher P/E than the average (33.2) P/E for companies in the online retail industry.

NasdaqGS:STMP Price Estimation Relative to Market, February 21st 2020
NasdaqGS:STMP Price Estimation Relative to Market, February 21st 2020

Stamps.com's P/E tells us that market participants think the company will perform better than its industry peers, going forward. Shareholders are clearly optimistic, but the future is always uncertain. So investors should delve deeper. I like to check if company insiders have been buying or selling.

How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios

If earnings fall then in the future the 'E' will be lower. Therefore, even if you pay a low multiple of earnings now, that multiple will become higher in the future. So while a stock may look cheap based on past earnings, it could be expensive based on future earnings.

Stamps.com shrunk earnings per share by 63% over the last year. But it has grown its earnings per share by 8.3% per year over the last five years. And EPS is down 7.7% a year, over the last 3 years. This growth rate might warrant a low P/E ratio.

Remember: P/E Ratios Don't Consider The Balance Sheet

It's important to note that the P/E ratio considers the market capitalization, not the enterprise value. 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.

Is Debt Impacting Stamps.com's P/E?

The extra options and safety that comes with Stamps.com's US$126m net cash position means that it deserves a higher P/E than it would if it had a lot of net debt.

The Verdict On Stamps.com's P/E Ratio

Stamps.com has a P/E of 46.0. That's higher than the average in its market, which is 18.5. The recent drop in earnings per share might keep value investors away, but the healthy balance sheet means the company retains potential for future growth. If fails to eventuate, the current high P/E could prove to be temporary, as the share price falls. What we know for sure is that investors have become much more excited about Stamps.com recently, since they have pushed its P/E ratio from 25.3 to 46.0 over the last month. 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.

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 report on the analyst consensus forecasts could help you make a master move on this stock.

You might be able to find a better buy than Stamps.com. If you want a selection of possible winners, check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a P/E below 20 (but have proven they can grow earnings).

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.

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