Below are the top 5 companies in the food retail industry ranked by the year-over-year expected EPS growth rate. The long-term growth rate is the expected annual increase in operating EPS over the next three to five years. Casey's General Stores: EPS is expected to grow 41.2% year-over-year, better than [image-nocss] the company's long-term growth rate of 12.4%. Based on the forward P/E (price-to-earnings ratio) of 15.8x, its PEG (price/earnings to growth) ratio is 1.27, which signifies a premium valuation given for growth. As of yesterday afternoon, Casey's stock was trading for $42.76 per share, not far from its 52-week high of $44.24 in mid-September. Whole Foods Market: EPS is expected to grow 34.5% year-over-year, better than the company's long-term growth rate of 19.5%. Based on the forward P/E of 29.9x, its PEG ratio is 1.53, which signifies a premium valuation given for growth. Safeway: EPS is expected to grow 33% year-over-year, better than the company's long-term growth rate of 8.7%. Based on the forward P/E of 14.6x, its PEG ratio is 1.69, which signifies a premium valuation given for growth. The Pantry: EPS is expected to grow 24.2% year-over-year, better than the company's long-term growth rate of 14.7%. Based on the forward P/E of 14.7x, its PEG ratio is 1, which signifies a fairly valued company. As of yesterday afternoon, the Pantry's stock was trading for $20.11 per share. Its 52-week high was $24.24 in late September. Kroger: EPS is expected to grow 13.6% year-over-year, better than the company's long-term growth rate of 8.6%. Based on the forward P/E of 12.3x, its PEG ratio is 1.44, which signifies a premium valuation given for growth.
Earnings per share is generally considered to be the single-most-important variable in determining a share's price, according to Investopedia. It is also a major component used to calculate the price-to-earnings valuation ratio.
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