What Is B & D Strategic Holdings's (HKG:1780) P/E Ratio After Its Share Price Tanked?

Simply Wall St

Sat, Nov 23, 2019, 5:52 PM

Of late the B & D Strategic Holdings (HKG:1780) share price has softened like an ice cream in the sun, melting a full 31%. But plenty of shareholders will still be smiling, given that the stock is up 35% over the last quarter. The bad news is that the recent drop obliterated the last year's worth of gains; the stock is flat over twelve months.

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 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 B & D Strategic Holdings

How Does B & D Strategic Holdings's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?

B & D Strategic Holdings's P/E of 8.63 indicates relatively low sentiment towards the stock. If you look at the image below, you can see B & D Strategic Holdings has a lower P/E than the average (10.5) in the construction industry classification.

SEHK:1780 Price Estimation Relative to Market, November 24th 2019

This suggests that market participants think B & D Strategic Holdings will underperform other companies in its industry. Since the market seems unimpressed with B & D Strategic Holdings, it's quite possible it could surprise on the upside. 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. That's because companies that grow earnings per share quickly will rapidly increase the 'E' in the equation. And in that case, the P/E ratio itself will drop rather quickly. So while a stock may look expensive based on past earnings, it could be cheap based on future earnings.

B & D Strategic Holdings's earnings per share fell by 34% in the last twelve months. But over the longer term (5 years) earnings per share have increased by 17%.

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

It's important to note that the P/E ratio considers the market capitalization, not the enterprise value. In other words, it does not consider any debt or cash that the company may have on the balance sheet. 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).

Spending on growth might be good or bad a few years later, but the point is that the P/E ratio does not account for the option (or lack thereof).

B & D Strategic Holdings's Balance Sheet

B & D Strategic Holdings has net cash of HK$61m. This is fairly high at 16% of its market capitalization. That might mean balance sheet strength is important to the business, but should also help push the P/E a bit higher than it would otherwise be.

The Bottom Line On B & D Strategic Holdings's P/E Ratio

B & D Strategic Holdings trades on a P/E ratio of 8.6, which is below the HK market average of 10.2. The recent drop in earnings per share would almost certainly temper expectations, the healthy balance sheet means the company retains potential for future growth. If that occurs, the current low P/E could prove to be temporary. What can be absolutely certain is that the market has become more pessimistic about B & D Strategic Holdings over the last month, with the P/E ratio falling from 12.5 back then to 8.6 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.

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. We don't have analyst forecasts, but you could get a better understanding of its growth by checking out this more detailed historical graph of earnings, revenue and cash flow.

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.

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