A Sliding Share Price Has Us Looking At Watts Water Technologies, Inc.'s (NYSE:WTS) P/E Ratio

Unfortunately for some shareholders, the Watts Water Technologies (NYSE:WTS) share price has dived 31% in the last thirty days. Even longer term holders have taken a real hit with the stock declining 8.6% in the last year.

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). 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 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 Watts Water Technologies

How Does Watts Water Technologies's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?

Watts Water Technologies's P/E of 19.03 indicates some degree of optimism towards the stock. You can see in the image below that the average P/E (14.6) for companies in the machinery industry is lower than Watts Water Technologies's P/E.

Watts Water Technologies's P/E tells us that market participants think the company will perform better than its industry peers, going forward. Shareholders are clearly optimistic, but the future is always uncertain. So further research is always essential. I often monitor director buying and selling.

How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios

Generally speaking the rate of earnings growth has a profound impact on a company's P/E multiple. When earnings grow, the 'E' increases, over time. 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.

Watts Water Technologies increased earnings per share by 3.3% last year. And its annual EPS growth rate over 5 years is 22%.

A Limitation: P/E Ratios Ignore Debt and Cash In The Bank

It's important to note that the P/E ratio considers the market capitalization, not the enterprise value. So it won't reflect the advantage of cash, or disadvantage of debt. 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 Watts Water Technologies's P/E?

Watts Water Technologies's net debt is 3.6% of its market cap. The market might award it a higher P/E ratio if it had net cash, but its unlikely this low level of net borrowing is having a big impact on the P/E multiple.

The Verdict On Watts Water Technologies's P/E Ratio

Watts Water Technologies has a P/E of 19.0. That's higher than the average in its market, which is 12.7. Given the debt is only modest, and earnings are already moving in the right direction, it's not surprising that the market expects continued improvement. What can be absolutely certain is that the market has become significantly less optimistic about Watts Water Technologies over the last month, with the P/E ratio falling from 27.7 back then to 19.0 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.

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. So this free report on the analyst consensus forecasts could help you make a master move on this stock.

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.

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