Tuesday, August 7, 2007

National Interstate Corporation

National Interstate Corporation is a NASDAQ listed security that has been trading in a range between $20.50 and $31.84 over the past year. With 19,211,110 shares outstanding, a recent price of $31.38 gives a total market capitalization of $643,572,185. While there are certainly larger companies, National Interstate Corporation has definitely earned its place in the pack. Last year, National Interstate Corporation created $1.94 in earnings for every share outstanding.

National Interstate Corporation is currently priced by the market at 16.20 times last year’s earnings. Many trading multiples around the world are quite attractive these days, but don’t be fooled. A Price to Earnings ratio of 0 simply means that the security didn’t make any money last year.

With a share price under $50 a share and earnings per share in excess of $1 a share, National Interstate Corporation could be an interesting value proposition. Consistent earnings are the key to high valuations and this security is well on its way.

0 comments: