For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – January 16, 2019 - Stocks in this week’s article are Tech Data Corp. (NASDAQ:TECD) , Graphic Packaging Holding Co. (NYSE:GPK) , Newell Brands Inc. (NASDAQ:NWL) , Amkor Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMKR) and Colfax Corp. (NYSE:CFX) .
5 Value Stocks with Alluring EV/EBITDA Ratios to Own Now
The price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is widely considered by investors as a yardstick for evaluating the fair market value of a stock. Many value investors prefer to take the P/E route in their pursuit for stocks that are trading at a bargain. But even this straightforward, easy-to-calculate multiple has a few pitfalls.
Is EV/EBITDA a Better Substitute to P/E?
While P/E enjoys great popularity, a less-used metric called EV/EBITDA gains an upper hand as it offers a clearer picture of a company’s valuation and earnings potential. EV/EBITDA, also known as the enterprise multiple, has a more complete approach to valuation as it determines a firm’s total value. P/E, on the other hand, considers only its equity portion.
EV/EBITDA is the enterprise value (EV) of a stock divided by its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA). EV is the sum of a company’s market capitalization, its debt and preferred stock minus cash and cash equivalents. In a nutshell, it is the entire value of a company.
The other constituent of the ratio, EBITDA is a true reflection of a company’s profitability as it strips out non-cash expenses like depreciation and amortization that dilute net earnings. It is also often used as a proxy for cash flows.
Usually, the lower the EV/EBITDA ratio, the more enticing it is. A low EV/EBITDA ratio could signal that a stock is potentially undervalued.
However, unlike P/E ratio, EV/EBITDA takes into account the debt on a company’s balance sheet. For this reason, EV/EBITDA is usually used to value possible acquisition targets. Stocks with a low EV/EBITDA multiple could be seen as potential takeover candidates.
Another drawback of P/E is that it can’t be used to value a loss-making company. A company’s earnings are also subject to accounting estimates and management manipulation. On the other hand, EV/EBITDA is difficult to manipulate and can also be used to value companies that are making loss but are EBITDA-positive.
EV/EBITDA is also a useful tool in measuring the value of firms that are highly leveraged and have a high degree of depreciation. Moreover, the ratio allows the comparison of companies with different debt levels.
Then again, EV/EBITDA has its flaws too. It varies across industries (a high-growth industry normally has higher multiple and vice versa) and is typically not appropriate while comparing stocks in different industries given their diverse capital expenditure requirements.
As such, instead of just banking on EV/EBITDA, you can combine it with the other major ratios such as price-to-book (P/B), P/E and price-to-sales (P/S) to screen true value stocks.
For the rest of this Screen of the Week article please visit Zacks.com at: https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/347353/5-value-stocks-with-alluring-evebitda-ratios-to-own-now
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