Is Stantec Inc’s (TSE:STN) PE Ratio A Signal To Sell For Investors?
Stantec Inc (TSX:STN) is trading with a trailing P/E of 34.8x, which is higher than the industry average of 24.1x. While STN might seem like a stock to avoid or sell if you own it, it is important to understand the assumptions behind the P/E ratio before you make any investment decisions. In this article, I will deconstruct the P/E ratio and highlight what you need to be careful of when using the P/E ratio. Check out our latest analysis for Stantec
Demystifying the P/E ratio
P/E is a popular ratio used for relative valuation. 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 dollar of the company’s earnings.
P/E Calculation for STN
Price-Earnings Ratio = Price per share ÷ Earnings per share
STN Price-Earnings Ratio = CA$35.17 ÷ CA$1.011 = 34.8x
The P/E ratio isn’t a metric you view in isolation and only becomes useful when you compare it against other similar companies. Our goal is to compare the stock’s P/E ratio to the average of companies that have similar attributes to STN, such as company lifetime and products sold. One way of gathering a peer group is to use firms in the same industry, which is what I’ll do. At 34.8x, STN’s P/E is higher than its industry peers (24.1x). This implies that investors are overvaluing each dollar of STN’s earnings. Therefore, according to this analysis, STN is an over-priced stock.
Assumptions to watch out for
While our conclusion might prompt you to sell your STN shares immediately, there are two important assumptions you should be aware of. The first is that our “similar companies” are actually similar to STN, or else the difference in P/E might be a result of other factors. For example, if you compared higher growth firms with STN, 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 STN to are fairly valued by the market. If this is violated, STN’s P/E may be lower than its peers as they are actually overvalued by investors.
What this means for you:
Are you a shareholder? Since you may have already conducted your due diligence on STN, the overvaluation of the stock may mean it is a good time to reduce your current holdings. But at the end of the day, keep in mind that relative valuation relies heavily on critical assumptions I’ve outlined above.
Are you a potential investor? If you are considering investing in STN, basing your decision on the PE metric at one point in time is certainly not sufficient. I recommend you do additional analysis by looking at its intrinsic valuation and using other relative valuation ratios like PEG or EV/EBITDA.
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 Stantec 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.
