Valuation check: CWST's P/E ratio is 964.7, above the Utilities sector average of 18.27.
Get informed when a big investor buys or sells
+ Follow964.70
The P/E ratio compares a company's stock price to its earnings per share. A lower P/E ratio may indicate that the stock is undervalued.
Casella Waste Systems posts a P/E ratio of 964.7. That is above the Utilities sector average of 18.27. Comparing that reading with peers and prior periods is usually more useful than looking at the number in isolation.
For Utilities stocks, a P/E ratio near 18.27 is typical. Casella Waste Systems's 964.7 is higher that level. That is roughly 5179.6% above the sector mean. Whether that is a warning or an opportunity depends on growth outlook and other fundamentals shown elsewhere on Stockcircle.
Casella Waste Systems's P/E ratio of 964.7 comes from dividing a price-based measure by a related financial statistic. Changes can come from the stock price moving, the underlying fundamental shifting, or both. Track both the level and the trend — a rising multiple on falling fundamentals is a different story than a rising multiple on rising earnings.
Context for CWST's P/E ratio usually means three checks: (1) trend versus prior periods, (2) level versus peers (average 18.27), and (3) consistency with growth and profitability. This page covers the first two; Casella Waste Systems's other metric pages and overview cover the third.
Judging Casella Waste Systems against Utilities peers is usually better than using a market-wide rule of thumb. Business models inside Utilities are more comparable, which makes gaps in P/E ratio easier to interpret. Start with 964.7 here, then scan peer and history charts to see if the gap is persistent.