Advertisement

What Is Cue Energy Resources's (ASX:CUE) P/E Ratio After Its Share Price Tanked?

To the annoyance of some shareholders, Cue Energy Resources (ASX:CUE) shares are down a considerable 32% in the last month. If we look back over the last year, the stock has gained 62% which is great, even in a bull market.

Assuming nothing else has changed, a lower share price makes a stock more 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, 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 Cue Energy Resources

Does Cue Energy Resources Have A Relatively High Or Low P/E For Its Industry?

We can tell from its P/E ratio of 13.62 that there is some investor optimism about Cue Energy Resources. The image below shows that Cue Energy Resources has a higher P/E than the average (10.3) P/E for companies in the oil and gas industry.

ASX:CUE Price Estimation Relative to Market, February 26th 2020
ASX:CUE Price Estimation Relative to Market, February 26th 2020

Its relatively high P/E ratio indicates that Cue Energy Resources shareholders think it will perform better than other companies in its industry classification. Clearly the market expects growth, but it isn't guaranteed. So investors should always consider the P/E ratio alongside other factors, such as whether company directors have been buying shares.

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. If earnings are growing quickly, then the 'E' in the equation will increase faster than it would otherwise. That means unless the share price increases, the P/E will reduce in a few years. A lower P/E should indicate the stock is cheap relative to others -- and that may attract buyers.

Cue Energy Resources saw earnings per share decrease by 40% last year. And it has shrunk its earnings per share by 17% per year over the last five years. This might lead to muted expectations.

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

The 'Price' in P/E reflects the market capitalization of the company. That means it doesn't take debt or cash into account. Hypothetically, a company could reduce its future P/E ratio by spending its cash (or taking on debt) to achieve higher earnings.

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.

Is Debt Impacting Cue Energy Resources's P/E?

Cue Energy Resources has net cash of AU$17m. This is fairly high at 24% 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 Verdict On Cue Energy Resources's P/E Ratio

Cue Energy Resources's P/E is 13.6 which is below average (18.2) in the AU market. The recent drop in earnings per share would almost certainly temper expectations, but the net cash position means the company has time to improve: if so, the low P/E could be an opportunity. Given Cue Energy Resources's P/E ratio has declined from 20.1 to 13.6 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 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. Although we don't have analyst forecasts shareholders might want to examine this detailed historical graph of earnings, revenue and cash flow.

But note: Cue Energy Resources 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.

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.