Is MEMC's Stock Expensive or Cheap?

Numbers can lie -- but they're the best first step in determining whether a stock is a buy. In this series, we use some carefully chosen metrics to size up a stock's true value based on the following clues:

• The current price multiples.
• The consistency of past earnings and cash flow.
• How much growth we can expect.

Let's see what those numbers can tell us about how expensive or cheap MEMC Electronic Materials (NYSE: WFR) might be -- especially in light of MEMC's stock being down 45% year to date.

The current price multiples
First, we'll look at most investors' favorite metric: the P/E ratio. It divides the company's share price by its earnings per share -- the lower, the better.

Then, we'll take things up a notch with a more advanced metric: enterprise value to unlevered free cash flow. This divides the company's enterprise value (basically, its market cap plus its debt, minus its cash) by its unlevered free cash flow (its free cash flow, adding back the interest payments on its debt). Like the P/E, the lower this number is, the better.

Analysts argue about which is more important -- earnings or cash flow. Who cares? A good buy ideally has low multiples on both.

MEMC Electronic Materials has a P/E ratio of 18.9 and a negative EV/FCF ratio over the trailing 12 months. If we stretch and compare current valuations to the five-year averages for earnings and free cash flow, MEMC Electronic Materials has a P/E ratio of 4.8 and a five-year EV/FCF ratio of 67.7.

A positive one-year ratio under 10 for both metrics is ideal. For a five-year metric, under 20 is ideal.

MEMC Electronic Materials has a mixed performance in hitting the ideal targets, but let's see how it compares against some competitors and industry mates.

Source: S&P Capital IQ; NM = not meaningful.

Numerically, we've seen how MEMC Electronic Materials' valuation rates on both an absolute and relative basis. Next, let's examine...

The consistency of past earnings and cash flow
An ideal company will be consistently strong in its earnings and cash flow generation.

In the past five years, MEMC Electronic Materials' net income margin has ranged from -4.3% to 32.4%. In that same time frame, unlevered free cash flow margin has ranged from -22.8% to 29.8%.

How do those figures compare with those of the company's peers? See for yourself:

Source: S&P Capital IQ; margin ranges are combined.

Additionally, over the last five years, MEMC Electronic Materials has tallied up four years of positive earnings and three years of positive free cash flow.

Next, let's figure out...

How much growth we can expect
Analysts tend to comically overstate their five-year growth estimates. If you accept them at face value, you will overpay for stocks. But while you should definitely take the analysts' prognostications with a grain of salt, they can still provide a useful starting point when compared to similar numbers from a company's closest rivals.

Let's start by seeing what this company's done over the past five years. In that time period, MEMC Electronic Materials has put up past EPS growth rates of -25.3%. Meanwhile, Wall Street's analysts expect future growth rates of 20%.

Here's how MEMC Electronic Materials compares to its peers for trailing five-year growth (because of losses, First Solar's trailing growth rate isn't meaningful):

Source: S&P Capital IQ; EPS growth shown.

And here's how it measures up with regard to the growth analysts expect over the next five years:

Source: S&P Capital IQ; estimates for EPS growth.

The bottom line
The pile of numbers we've plowed through has shown us the price multiples shares of MEMC Electronic Materials are trading at, the volatility of its operational performance, and what kind of growth profile it has -- both on an absolute and a relative basis.

The more consistent a company's performance has been and the more growth we can expect, the more we should be willing to pay. We've gone well beyond looking at an 18.9 P/E ratio, but this is just a start. Its five-year price multiples are lower than its one-year price multiples because MEMC's profitability has decreased significantly. The question is whether this is permanent. The solar industry has been dealing with both the extra scrutiny because of the Solyndra controversy and tanking solar module and polysilicon prices. It's a tricky industry, but if you find MEMC Electronic Materials' numbers or story compelling, don't stop. Continue your due diligence process until you're confident one way or the other. As a start, add it to My Watchlist to find all of our Foolish analysis.

To see the stocks that I've researched beyond the initial numbers and bought in my public real-money portfolio, click here.