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What Is Big Lots's (NYSE:BIG) P/E Ratio After Its Share Price Tanked?

Unfortunately for some shareholders, the Big Lots (NYSE:BIG) share price has dived 49% in the last thirty days. And that drop will have no doubt have some shareholders concerned that the 63% share price decline, over the last year, has turned them into bagholders. For those wondering, a bagholder is someone who keeps holding a losing stock indefinitely, without taking the time to consider its prospects carefully, going forward.

All else being equal, a share price drop should make a stock more attractive to potential investors. 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. 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.

Check out our latest analysis for Big Lots

Does Big Lots Have A Relatively High Or Low P/E For Its Industry?

Big Lots's P/E of 2.10 indicates relatively low sentiment towards the stock. The image below shows that Big Lots has a lower P/E than the average (10.2) P/E for companies in the multiline retail industry.

NYSE:BIG Price Estimation Relative to Market, March 20th 2020
NYSE:BIG Price Estimation Relative to Market, March 20th 2020

This suggests that market participants think Big Lots will underperform other companies in its industry. Since the market seems unimpressed with Big Lots, it's quite possible it could surprise on the upside. If you consider the stock interesting, further research is recommended. For example, I often monitor director buying and selling.

How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios

Probably the most important factor in determining what P/E a company trades on is the earnings growth. If earnings are growing quickly, then the 'E' in the equation will increase faster than it would otherwise. Therefore, even if you pay a high multiple of earnings now, that multiple will become lower in the future. A lower P/E should indicate the stock is cheap relative to others -- and that may attract buyers.

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Big Lots's earnings made like a rocket, taking off 61% last year. The sweetener is that the annual five year growth rate of 20% is also impressive. So I'd be surprised if the P/E ratio was not above average.

Don't Forget: The P/E Does Not Account For Debt or Bank Deposits

One drawback of using a P/E ratio is that it considers market capitalization, but not the balance sheet. 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.

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.

How Does Big Lots's Debt Impact Its P/E Ratio?

Net debt is 45% of Big Lots's market cap. While it's worth keeping this in mind, it isn't a worry.

The Bottom Line On Big Lots's P/E Ratio

Big Lots's P/E is 2.1 which is below average (12.2) in the US market. The company does have a little debt, and EPS growth was good last year. If it continues to grow, then the current low P/E may prove to be unjustified. What can be absolutely certain is that the market has become more pessimistic about Big Lots over the last month, with the P/E ratio falling from 4.2 back then to 2.1 today. 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.