On Stock Values

Some Stock Advice from Dan Ferris, editor of Extreme Value

I don't expect investors will make much money in stocks on the long side from current price levels. Dividend cuts, weak earnings, and unattractive valuations are telling you to be careful. Most long term returns in stocks have come in from dividends, not capital gains (because arbitrageurs and institutions make it too hard for the majority of investors). On the dividend side, Procter & Gamble has raised its dividend every year for 53 years. ExxonMobil has done so every year for 27 years. Most stocks are just too expensive compared to earnings. The S&P 500 is trading around 16x earnings. And with banks failing, 10% unemployment, and the middle innings of a once-a-century meltdown. With housing and debt in charge of the economy now, this means a worse outlook for earnings and stocks. In the 1970s valuations sank for a decade through the Great Inflation.

Year P/E
1974 7.3
1975 11.7
1976 11.0
1977 8.8
1978 8.3
1979 7.4
1980 9.1
1981 8.1
1982 10.2
1983 12.4
1984 9.9
Average P/E 9.5

Based on historical standards, the ultimate bottom could be another 39% below the March 2009 low of 667 (12x S&P 500 earnings estimate).

For more information on P/E ratios see:
Investopedia - The P/E Ratio
About.com - Understanding Price to Earnings Ratio
Sentiment of Success - What is the Price To Earnings Ratio