
4 ways to calculate the relative value of a stock
- Price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) What it is. Offers a snapshot of what you’ll pay for a company’s future earnings. It...
- Price/earnings-to-growth ratio (PEG) What it is. Considers a company’s earnings growth. Find the estimated earnings...
- Price-to-book ratio (P/B) What it is. A snapshot of the value of a company’s...
How to evaluate a stock before you buy?
- A PEG ratio of 1 infers that a company’s stock is fairly priced
- PEG ratio “less than 1” infers stock is undervalued (cheap)
- PEG ratio “greater than 1” suggests that a stock is overvalued (expensive)
How do you calculate the total value of a stock?
4 ways to calculate the relative value of a stock
- Price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) What it is. Offers a snapshot of what you’ll pay for a company’s future earnings. ...
- Price/earnings-to-growth ratio (PEG) What it is. Considers a company’s earnings growth. ...
- Price-to-book ratio (P/B) What it is. A snapshot of the value of a company’s assets. ...
- Free cash flow (FCF)
How do I calculate stock value?
- Dividend yields
- Price-to-book ratios
- Earnings per share
- Price-to-earnings ratios
- Price earnings-to-growth ratios
How to choose the best stock valuation method?
Popular Stock Valuation Methods
- Dividend Discount Model (DDM) The dividend discount model is one of the basic techniques of absolute stock valuation. ...
- Discounted Cash Flow Model (DCF) The discounted cash flow model is another popular method of absolute stock valuation. ...
- Comparable Companies Analysis

Why are dividend stocks attractive?
It's always nice to have a back-up when a stock's growth falters. This is why dividend-paying stocks are attractive to many investors—even when prices drop, you get a paycheck. The dividend yield shows how much of a payday you're getting for your money. By dividing the stock's annual dividend by the stock's price, you get a percentage. You can think of that percentage as the interest on your money, with the additional chance at growth through the appreciation of the stock.
Why do stocks have high P/E?
The reason stocks tend to have high P/E ratios is that investors try to predict which stocks will enjoy progressively larger earnings. An investor may buy a stock with a P/E ratio of 30 if they think it will double its earnings every year (shortening the payoff period significantly).
Why do investors use the PEG ratio?
Because the P/E ratio isn't enough in and of itself, many investors use the price to earnings growth (PEG) ratio. Instead of merely looking at the price and earnings, the PEG ratio incorporates the historical growth rate of the company's earnings. This ratio also tells you how company A's stock stacks up against company B's stock.
What does a PEG ratio mean?
A PEG of 1 means you're breaking even if growth continues as it has in the past.
What is book value?
The book value usually includes equipment, buildings, land and anything else that can be sold, including stock holdings and bonds. With purely financial firms, the book value can fluctuate with the market as these stocks tend to have a portfolio of assets that goes up and down in value.
What is the P/B ratio?
Made for glass-half-empty people, the price-to-book (P/B) ratio represents the value of the company if it is torn up and sold today. This is useful to know because many companies in mature industries falter in terms of growth, but they can still be a good value based on their assets. The book value usually includes equipment, buildings, land and anything else that can be sold, including stock holdings and bonds.
Can a stock go up without earnings?
A stock can go up in value without significant earnings increases, but the P/E ratio is what decides if it can stay up. Without earnings to back up the price, a stock will eventually fall back down. An important point to note is that one should only compare P/E ratios among companies in similar industries and markets.
What is a good measure of value?
For example, a bank is valued by how many assets it has and how well it grows those assets, so the price-to-book ratio is a good measure of value.
Why do investors use ratios?
Many investors use ratios to decide if a stock offers a good relative value compared to its peers. Here are the four most basic ways to calculate a stock value.
What is fundamental analysis?
Fundamental analysis, on the other hand, aims to determine the intrinsic, or true, value and the relative value of the stock so that an investor or trader can anticipate whether the stock price will rise or fall to realign with that value.
How to calculate P/B?
How it’s calculated. Divide the current share price by the stock’s book value. Then divide by the number of shares issued.
Why do we use technical analysis?
Because technical analysis is primarily concerned with stock price movements as shown in charts, it’s largely used for determining and following the underlying trend or market sentiment rather than measuring the value of a stock. If people are buying a stock, a technical analyst can assume that the company is creating value. If people are selling a stock, the assumption is that it isn’t worth the current price.
How are stocks valued?
Stocks are valued based on the net present value of the future dividends. The theory behind this method is that a stock is valued as the sum of all its future dividend payments combined. These dividend payments are then discounted back to their present value.
What are the factors that determine the intrinsic value of a stock?
Perceptual Factors. Perceptual factors are derived by determining the expectations and perceptions of a stock that investors have. All of these factors are put together as objectively as possible to build a mathematical model used for determining the intrinsic value of a stock.
What is intrinsic value?
Intrinsic value is a measure of what a stock is worth. If the stock is trading at a price above intrinsic value, its overpriced; If its trading at a price below intrinsic value, it’s underpriced and essentially on sale. To determine the intrinsic value of a stock, fundamental analysis is undertaken. Qualitative, quantitative and perceptual factors ...
What is value investing?
Value investing is one of the primary ways to create long-term returns in the stock market. The fundamental investment strategy is to buy a company stock trading for less than its intrinsic value, as calculated by one of several methods.
Why is there still a level of subjectivity in the stock market?
Obviously, there is still a level of subjectivity due to the nature of many of the qualitative factors and assumptions being made. After the intrinsic value is estimated, it is compared to the current market price of a stock to determine whether the stock is overvalued or undervalued.
What are qualitative factors?
Qualitative factors are specific aspects relating to what a business does and how it is conducted. Such factors are unable to be measured. For example, company morale, governance, relationships with consumers, and business model.
What is fundamental analysis?
Fundamental analysis consists of analysing financial and economic factors relevant to a business’s performance. If you are wondering how to value a company a company stock, this is a great place to start.
How are stock prices determined?
In order to understand how stock prices are determined, it's important to first know how the capital markets work. Within the capital markets, buyers and sellers collectively help determine the stock price. There are many factors and theories on why stock prices fluctuate, but two theories are the most cited. The Efficient Market Hypothesis says that a stock price reflects a company's true value at any given time. The Intrinsic Value Theory states that companies may trade for more or less than they are worth.
What happens to a stock when its value rises?
As the company's value rises, the stock's price does, too, though there are other factors to consider.
Why do stock prices fluctuate?
The Efficient Market Hypothesis says that a stock price reflects a company's true value at any given time. The Intrinsic Value Theory states that companies may trade for more or less than they are worth.
What is intrinsic value theory?
This theory states that companies trade for more or less than what they are worth all the time.
What is a company that issues bonds?
A company that issues bonds is essentially establishing a loan deal with an investor, and the company agrees to pay back the loan plus interest over a set timeline. A company that issues stock is selling partial ownership in the company.
What is capital market?
Capital markets create the opportunity for institutions and individuals to invest on someone's behalf —for a fee. This investing is sometimes done through a broker-dealer.
How do capital markets work?
First, capital markets establish the primary market by connecting savers of capital with those who want to raise capital. In other words, a business owner who wants to start or grow a business can use the capital markets to connect with investors who have money to spare. 1
How to calculate market capitalization?
Market capitalization is one of the simplest measures of a publicly traded company's value, calculated by multiplying the total number of shares by the current share price. Market Capitalization = Share Price x Total Number of Shares. One of the shortcomings of market capitalization is that it only accounts for the value of equity, ...
What is company valuation?
Company valuation, also known as business valuation, is the process of assessing the total economic value of a business and its assets. During this process, all aspects of a business are evaluated to determine the current worth of an organization or specific unit. The valuation process takes place for a variety of reasons, ...
How is enterprise value calculated?
The enterprise value is calculated by combining a company's debt and equity and removing the amount of cash it's currently holding in its bank accounts (since it’s not part of its actual operations).
What is the benefit of discounted cash flow analysis?
The benefit of discounted cash flow analysis is that it reflects a company’s ability to generate cash. However, the challenge of this type of valuation is that its accuracy relies on the terminal value, which can vary depending on the assumptions you make about future growth and discount rates. 3.
Why don't financial analysts look at net income?
When examining earnings, financial analysts generally don't like to look at the raw net income profitability of a company because it's manipulated in a lot of ways by the conventions of accounting, and some of them can distort the true picture.
Is Tesla financed by equity?
While Tesla's market capitalization is higher than both Ford and GM, Tesla is also financed more from equity. In fact, 74 percent of Tesla’s assets have been financed with equity, while Ford and GM have capital structures that rely much more on debt.
What is a stock?
Before discussing how to determine the intrinsic value of stock and whether it's under- or over-valued, let's first review what a stock is. It is not a piece of paper nor is it a ticker symbol displayed next to some numbers on a screen. A single share of a company represents a small, but real, ownership stake in a corporation.
Why value stocks?
Before purchasing these fractional ownership stakes to a particular company, it is important to understand that the stock's intrinsic value is not necessarily directly tied to its current market price, though some would have you believe it is.
How can the value of stocks be influenced?
The value of stocks and shares can be influenced by a wide range of factors. Being able to pin down an accurate number is crucial to the success of any potential investment. Knowing when shares are overpriced can save you a lot of money and knowing which are undervalued could make you a lot more. These four basic tips can help you along ...
Can you paint a misleading picture of share value?
Any single calculation can easily paint a misleading picture of share value, so it’s essential you research your investments as dutifully as possible. If you do, you’ll be able to commit your money with the confidence that you’ll see a significant return on investment.
Is a yield ratio a smart investment?
They can be a smart investment for anyone seeking a stable return on their money over a longer period of time. However, due to the nature of the calculation, the yield ratio will only increase as a share price falls and a drastically falling share price is often quickly followed by cuts to the dividend.
Is a lower P/E ratio better?
Theoretically, a lower ratio is representative of a better potential investment, but you need to know the ratios of other similar share offerings to ascertain its relative worth. Earnings can, of course, fluctuate. Therefore, the P/E ratio is also subject to change.
Is the P/E ratio subject to change?
Therefore, the P/E ratio is also subject to change . It is for this reason that further investigation should always take place before making a significant investment. The earnings per share can normally be found on most finance sites and are based on the money made by the company over the most recent 12 months of trading.
Is PEG ratio better than P/E?
Even so, the PEG ratio is often considered a better tool for providing a more well-rounded and useful figure than the P/E ratio it’s based on. If applied appropriately, the PEG ratio can be a great indicator of true share values. 4. Dividend yield ratio.
