A Rising Share Price Has Us Looking Closely At Globus Medical, Inc.'s (NYSE:GMED) P/E Ratio

Globus Medical (NYSE:GMED) shareholders are no doubt pleased to see that the share price has bounced 36% in the last month alone, although it is still down 10% over the last quarter. Unfortunately, the full year gain of 9.0% wasn't so sweet.

Assuming no other changes, a sharply higher share price makes a stock less attractive to potential buyers. 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). 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.

View our latest analysis for Globus Medical

Does Globus Medical Have A Relatively High Or Low P/E For Its Industry?

We can tell from its P/E ratio of 30.48 that sentiment around Globus Medical isn't particularly high. If you look at the image below, you can see Globus Medical has a lower P/E than the average (42.5) in the medical equipment industry classification.

Globus Medical's P/E tells us that market participants think it will not fare as well as its peers in the same 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

P/E ratios primarily reflect market expectations around earnings growth rates. When earnings grow, the 'E' increases, over time. That means unless the share price increases, the P/E will reduce in a few years. So while a stock may look expensive based on past earnings, it could be cheap based on future earnings.

Globus Medical saw earnings per share decrease by 2.1% last year. But over the longer term (5 years) earnings per share have increased by 9.8%.

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

Don't forget that the P/E ratio considers market capitalization. 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).

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.

So What Does Globus Medical's Balance Sheet Tell Us?

The extra options and safety that comes with Globus Medical's US$311m net cash position means that it deserves a higher P/E than it would if it had a lot of net debt.

The Bottom Line On Globus Medical's P/E Ratio

Globus Medical has a P/E of 30.5. That's higher than the average in its market, which is 13.7. The recent drop in earnings per share would make some investors cautious, but the relatively strong balance sheet will allow the company time to invest in growth. Clearly, the high P/E indicates shareholders think it will! What is very clear is that the market has become significantly more optimistic about Globus Medical over the last month, with the P/E ratio rising from 22.4 back then to 30.5 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.

Investors have an opportunity when market expectations about a stock are wrong. 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.

Of course you might be able to find a better stock than Globus Medical. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have grown earnings strongly.

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.