What Is Murphy Oil's (NYSE:MUR) P/E Ratio After Its Share Price Rocketed?
Those holding Murphy Oil (NYSE:MUR) shares must be pleased that the share price has rebounded 50% in the last thirty days. But unfortunately, the stock is still down by 72% over a quarter. However, that doesn't change the fact that longer term shareholders might have been mercilessly wrecked by the 74% share price decline throughout the 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. So some would prefer to hold off buying when there is a lot of optimism towards a stock. 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.
See our latest analysis for Murphy Oil
Does Murphy Oil Have A Relatively High Or Low P/E For Its Industry?
Murphy Oil's P/E of 13.50 indicates some degree of optimism towards the stock. You can see in the image below that the average P/E (7.9) for companies in the oil and gas industry is lower than Murphy Oil's P/E.
Its relatively high P/E ratio indicates that Murphy Oil shareholders think it will perform better than other companies in its industry classification. 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
Earnings growth rates have a big influence on P/E ratios. When earnings grow, the 'E' increases, over time. And in that case, the P/E ratio itself will drop rather quickly. A lower P/E should indicate the stock is cheap relative to others -- and that may attract buyers.
Murphy Oil's earnings per share fell by 44% in the last twelve months. And over the longer term (5 years) earnings per share have decreased 38% annually. This might lead to muted expectations.
Don't Forget: The P/E Does Not Account For Debt or Bank Deposits
The 'Price' in P/E reflects the market capitalization of the company. In other words, it does not consider any debt or cash that the company may have on the balance sheet. The exact same company would hypothetically deserve a higher P/E ratio if it had a strong balance sheet, than if it had a weak one with lots of debt, because a cashed up company can spend on 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.
So What Does Murphy Oil's Balance Sheet Tell Us?
Net debt totals a substantial 232% of Murphy Oil's market cap. This level of debt justifies a relatively low P/E, so remain cognizant of the debt, if you're comparing it to other stocks.
The Bottom Line On Murphy Oil's P/E Ratio
Murphy Oil's P/E is 13.5 which is about average (13.2) in the US market. With relatively high debt, and no earnings per share growth over twelve months, the P/E suggests that many have an expectation that company will find some growth. What is very clear is that the market has become more optimistic about Murphy Oil over the last month, with the P/E ratio rising from 9.0 back then to 13.5 today. For those who prefer to invest with the flow of momentum, that might mean it's time to put the stock on a watchlist, or research it. But the contrarian may see it as a missed opportunity.
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 visualization of the analyst consensus on future earnings could help you make the right decision about whether to buy, sell, or hold.
But note: Murphy Oil 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).
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.
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