A Sliding Share Price Has Us Looking At Select Bancorp, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:SLCT) P/E Ratio

March 31, 2020

Unfortunately for some shareholders, the Select Bancorp (NASDAQ:SLCT) share price has dived 32% in the last thirty days. That drop has capped off a tough year for shareholders, with the share price down 35% 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. 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). 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 Select Bancorp

How Does Select Bancorp's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?

Select Bancorp's P/E of 10.94 indicates some degree of optimism towards the stock. As you can see below, Select Bancorp has a higher P/E than the average company (8.9) in the banks industry.

NasdaqGM:SLCT Price Estimation Relative to Market April 1st 2020

That means that the market expects Select 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. That's because companies that grow earnings per share quickly will rapidly increase the 'E' in the equation. 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.

Select Bancorp saw earnings per share decrease by 21% last year. But EPS is up 21% over the last 5 years.

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

One drawback of using a P/E ratio is that it considers market capitalization, but not the balance sheet. So it won't reflect the advantage of cash, or disadvantage of debt. Hypothetically, a company could reduce its future P/E ratio by spending its cash (or taking on debt) to achieve higher earnings.

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).

So What Does Select Bancorp's Balance Sheet Tell Us?

With net cash of US$22m, Select Bancorp has a very strong balance sheet, which may be important for its business. Having said that, at 16% of its market capitalization the cash hoard would contribute towards a higher P/E ratio.

The Bottom Line On Select Bancorp's P/E Ratio

Select Bancorp trades on a P/E ratio of 10.9, which is below the US market average of 13.1. 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 significantly less optimistic about Select Bancorp over the last month, with the P/E ratio falling from 16.0 back then to 10.9 today. For those who prefer to invest with the flow of momentum, that might be a bad sign, but for a contrarian, it may signal opportunity.

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

But note: Select Bancorp 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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