It hasn't been a great afternoon session for Goldman Sachs investors, who have watched their shares sink by -7.5% to a price of $346.01. Some of you might be wondering if it's time to buy the dip. If you are considering this, make sure to check the company's fundamentals first to determine if the shares are fairly valued at today's prices.
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., a financial institution, provides a range of financial services for corporations, financial institutions, governments, and individuals worldwide. The company belongs to the Financial Services sector, which has an average price to earnings (P/E) ratio of 13.34 and an average price to book (P/B) ratio of 1.95. In contrast, Goldman Sachs has a trailing 12 month P/E ratio of 9.2 and a P/B ratio of 1.1.
One of the main reasons not to blindly invest in a company with a low P/E ratio is that it might have low growth expectations. Low growth correlates with low stock performance, so it's useful to factor growth into the valuation process. One of the easiest ways to do this is to divide the company's P/E ratio by its expected growth rate, which results in the price to earnings growth, or PEG ratio.
Goldman Sachs's PEG ratio is -1.12. Since it's negative, the company actually has negative growth expectations, and most investors will probably avoid the stock unless it has an exceptionally low P/E and P/B ratio.
