Data Insights

The only new stock in the ASX 200's low P/E list

Wed 27 Sep 23, 12:30pm (AEST)
Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) building, flanked by Bridge and Pitt Streets
Source: Shutterstock

Key Points

  • The ASX 200 has been range-bound for the last few months.
  • The largest company with a P/E of under 10 remains Woodside Energy.
  • Bluescope Steel is the only new entrant, and is itself a returnee.

It's been a range-bound time for the ASX 200. The ASX 200 has not fallen below 7,000 since the end of March while the index has not recorded a closing price above 7,500 since February. This has proved that active stock picking has been the differentiator in recent months. But finding new investment ideas with structural storylines and trading at depressed valuations is not an easy task.

The perfect case in point is the Market Index Low P/E scan. Last month, there were 38 stocks on the All Ordinaries list. This month, we've changed the list so that it's only the ASX 200. This reduces the number from 38 to 26.

But even as we've limited the range of stocks, there is only one (major) change to last month's list - reflecting how range-bound this market is without a catalyst.

In this piece, we'll look at the changes to this scan in more depth.


Ticker

Company

Last

1-Year

PE

WHC

Whitehaven Coal

$7.02

-16.9%

2.3

CRN

Coronado Global

$1.90

25.0%

4.7

GNC

Graincorp

$7.05

-10.7%

4.8

CIP

Centuria Industrial

$3.06

17.5%

5.0

NHC

New Hope Corporation

$6.22

8.6%

5.1

PLS

Pilbara Minerals

$4.15

-11.4%

5.4

PRU

Perseus Mining

$1.66

19.0%

5.5

KAR

Karoon Energy

$2.50

37.1%

5.6

VUK

Virgin Money UK

$3.20

40.4%

5.7

QAN

Qantas Airways

$5.13

0.1%

5.7

WAF

West African Resources

$0.80

-19.2%

5.9

BKW

Brickworks

$25.96

22.6%

6.2

WDS

Woodside Energy

$36.20

18.0%

6.7

ILU

Iluka Resources

$7.78

-13.5%

7.8

SPK

Spark New Zealand

$4.45

-0.5%

7.9

ELD

Elders

$5.95

-50.2%

7.9

IPL

Incitec Pivot

$3.14

-7.3%

8.0

NSR

National Storage

$2.17

-1.8%

8.5

FMG

Fortescue

$20.33

20.8%

8.6

HVN

Harvey Norman

$3.90

-5.3%

9.0

BSL

Bluescope Steel

$19.10

25.5%

9.0

BPT

Beach Energy

$1.60

9.6%

9.3

MFG

Magellan Financial

$9.39

-16.9%

9.3

STO

Santos Limited

$7.69

10.7%

9.4

JBH

JB HI-FI

$46.71

20.5%

9.6

SOL

Washington H Soul Pattinson

$34.05

27.0%

9.9


Changes at the top

The coal stocks are back at the top of the ultra-cheap list. Whitehaven Coal (ASX: WHC) and Coronado Global (ASX: CRN) make up two of the top three stocks on this current low P/E scan.

The last one, GrainCorp (ASX: GNC), is a recurring entrant on this list. But with GrainCorp and other agriculture stocks staring down an El Nino in Australia, this may be an example of a stock that is cheap and may become even cheaper.

Fellow agriculture stocks Elders (ASX: ELD) and Incitec Pivot (ASX: IPL) are also recurring entrants on this list. Both have had significant share price pullbacks this year. So will you be able to get it any cheaper?

ELD vs GNC vs IPL
(Source: TradingView)

To read more about the impact El Nino may have on your investments, check out this fantastic piece by Livewire's Sara Allen.

The new addition: Bluescope Steel

A former entrant on this list makes its return - but not without a decent re-rating. Bluescope Steel (ASX: BSL) shares have fallen 8% in the last month. That's despite the company's FY23 earnings result coming in ahead of expectations and FY24 guidance also beating analyst estimates.

But shareholders may have been spooked by the housing cycle. Management remain reasonably constructive on residential demand in the first half, but visibility beyond this remains low.

Bluescope Steel chart
(Source: TradingView)

 

Written By

Hans Lee

Content Editor

Hans is a Content Editor at Livewire Markets and Market Index. He created Signal or Noise and helps write the LW-MI Morning Wrap on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

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