Shares of PetSmart
How it got here
Consistency. That's been true for PetSmart the company and PetSmart the stock for some time. It doesn't hurt to have great quarters, either, which is exactly why PetSmart's shares soared to new heights yesterday. Pets are a big business, and PetSmart's business model has thus far been resistant to online competition. That could change if Amazon.com's
PetSmart has had little direct competition save from privately held Petco and big-box retailers Wal-Mart
PETM Total Return Price data by YCharts
PetSmart has also handily trounced pet-prescription specialist PetMed Express
What you need to know
Looking at each company through a magnifying glass quickly reveals the secret to PetSmart's outperformance (and the inexplicability of Amazon's, at least in the eyes of some Fools here):
Company |
P/E Ratio |
3-Year Annualized Earnings Growth |
Net Margin (TTM) |
---|---|---|---|
PetSmart | 22.6 | 16.6% | 5.0% |
Amazon | 178.8 | (14.7%) | 1.1% |
Wal-Mart | 13.9 | 3.8% | 3.5% |
Target | 13.4 | 5.7% | 4.2% |
PetMed Express | 14.6 | (10.2%) | 7.0% |
Source: Yahoo! Finance.
Sure, PetSmart has a higher valuation than both bricks-and-mortar competition and specializers inside this industry. But it's earned it through superior earnings growth and better profitability than its peers, excepting specialty specialist PetMed Express, which hasn't wowed investors over the years despite its impressive yield. PetSmart's string of earnings beats hasn't hurt either, and the company has better forward estimates than either Wal-Mart or Target. With little immediate danger on the horizon, PetSmart's current perch should be sustainable -- and improvable -- over the coming year, at least.
What's next?
Where does PetSmart go from here? That will depend on how much Americans love their pets. So far, the answer has been "a whole lot," and barring a complete meltdown, Fido and Fluffy will keep getting pampered by PetSmart's wide array of offerings. The Motley Fool's CAPS community agrees, giving PetSmart a four-star rating, with 93% expecting the stock to continue its growing ways.
Interested in tracking this stock as it continues on its path? Add PetSmart to your watchlist now for all the news we Fools can find. For more information on some other great long-term investments, click here for your free copy of The Motley Fool's popular report on "3 Stocks That Will Help You Retire Rich."