What Is Western New England Bancorp's (NASDAQ:WNEB) P/E Ratio After Its Share Price Tanked?
Unfortunately for some shareholders, the Western New England Bancorp (NASDAQ:WNEB) share price has dived 31% in the last thirty days. That drop has capped off a tough year for shareholders, with the share price down 38% in that time.
All else being equal, a share price drop should make a stock more 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, on certain occasions, long term focussed investors try to take advantage of pessimistic expectations to buy shares at a better price. 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 Western New England Bancorp
How Does Western New England Bancorp's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?
We can tell from its P/E ratio of 11.61 that there is some investor optimism about Western New England Bancorp. You can see in the image below that the average P/E (10.4) for companies in the mortgage industry is lower than Western New England Bancorp's P/E.
That means that the market expects Western New England Bancorp will outperform other companies in its industry. Clearly the market expects growth, but it isn't guaranteed. 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. Earnings growth means that in the future the 'E' will be higher. And in that case, the P/E ratio itself will drop rather quickly. And as that P/E ratio drops, the company will look cheap, unless its share price increases.
Western New England Bancorp shrunk earnings per share by 10% over the last year. But over the longer term (5 years) earnings per share have increased by 8.5%.
A Limitation: P/E Ratios Ignore Debt and Cash In The Bank
One drawback of using a P/E ratio is that it considers market capitalization, but not the balance sheet. That means it doesn't take debt or cash into account. 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).
Such expenditure might be good or bad, in the long term, but the point here is that the balance sheet is not reflected by this ratio.
How Does Western New England Bancorp's Debt Impact Its P/E Ratio?
Western New England Bancorp's net debt is considerable, at 143% of its market cap. If you want to compare its P/E ratio to other companies, you must keep in mind that these debt levels would usually warrant a relatively low P/E.
The Verdict On Western New England Bancorp's P/E Ratio
Western New England Bancorp trades on a P/E ratio of 11.6, which is below the US market average of 12.9. When you consider that the company has significant debt, and didn't grow EPS last year, it isn't surprising that the market has muted expectations. Given Western New England Bancorp's P/E ratio has declined from 16.9 to 11.6 in the last month, we know for sure that the market is significantly less confident about the business today, than it was back then. For those who don't like to trade against momentum, that could be a warning sign, but a contrarian investor might want to take a closer look.
When the market is wrong about a stock, it gives savvy investors an opportunity. If it is underestimating a company, investors can make money by buying and holding the shares until the market corrects itself. 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 Western New England Bancorp. 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.
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