Yahoo Finance A Sliding Share Price Has Us Looking At The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.'s (NYSE:PNC) P/E Ratio
Unfortunately for some shareholders, the PNC Financial Services Group (NYSE:PNC) share price has dived 48% in the last thirty days. Indeed the recent decline has arguably caused some bitterness for shareholders who have held through the 34% drop over twelve months.
Assuming nothing else has changed, a lower share price makes a stock more attractive to potential buyers. 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 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). Investors have optimistic expectations of companies with higher P/E ratios, compared to companies with lower P/E ratios.
Check out our latest analysis for PNC Financial Services Group
How Does PNC Financial Services Group's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?
We can tell from its P/E ratio of 7.06 that sentiment around PNC Financial Services Group isn't particularly high. If you look at the image below, you can see PNC Financial Services Group has a lower P/E than the average (8.3) in the banks industry classification.
This suggests that market participants think PNC Financial Services Group will underperform other companies in its industry. Many investors like to buy stocks when the market is pessimistic about their prospects. It is arguably worth checking if insiders are buying shares, because that might imply they believe the stock is undervalued.
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. And as that P/E ratio drops, the company will look cheap, unless its share price increases.
PNC Financial Services Group increased earnings per share by 5.9% last year. And it has bolstered its earnings per share by 9.0% per year over the last five years.
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. Thus, the metric does not reflect cash or debt held by the company. Theoretically, a business can improve its earnings (and produce a lower P/E in the future) by investing in growth. That means taking on debt (or spending its cash).
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 PNC Financial Services Group's P/E?
Net debt totals a substantial 131% of PNC Financial Services Group'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 PNC Financial Services Group's P/E Ratio
PNC Financial Services Group's P/E is 7.1 which is below average (11.5) in the US market. While the recent EPS growth is a positive, the significant amount of debt on the balance sheet may be contributing to pessimistic market expectations. What can be absolutely certain is that the market has become more pessimistic about PNC Financial Services Group over the last month, with the P/E ratio falling from 13.5 back then to 7.1 today. For those who prefer to invest with the flow of momentum, that might be a bad sign, but for deep value investors this stock might justify some research.
Investors should be looking to buy stocks that the market is wrong about. 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 visual report on analyst forecasts could hold the key to an excellent investment decision.
You might be able to find a better buy than PNC Financial Services Group. 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.
