GARP (Growth at Reasonable Price) is literally a hybrid stock investment strategy that emphasizes picking investments slightly under valued but still expected to have solid earnings growth in the coming years. Many strict value and growth investors are irritated by the perceived ambiguity of the GARP stock strategy. However, GARP investors do seek out specific valuation metrics in order to help them make individual stock selections. But, a degree of personal judgment is also required. Peter Lynch is one of the most famous GARP investors who had an amazing average return of 29% during the years 1977-1990. So how do Peter and other GARP investors pick their stocks?
Growth and GARP investors definitely share a love of studying companies that are expected to continue to grow in the coming years. Growth projections beyond those of other companies within the same industry are welcome by GARP investors - but only to a point. Unlike growth investors who tend to pursue the stocks of companies expected to expand revenue, earnings, or both in the 25-50% range, GARP advocates are a little paranoid of such large numbers. Excessive growth projections make GARP investors nervous since they cause higher stock prices and, increase risks of loss should expectations fail to be met. Growth projections in the realistic and affordable 10-20% range make GARP investors more comfortable and willing to make an investment.
Because of their concern for growth, GARP investors also like the P/E ratio valuation metric because, it tells how the earnings compare to the share price. The P/E ratio can be found by taking the current share price and dividing it by the earnings per share (EPS) price, or:
P/E Ratio = Current Share Price / Earning Per Share
For a company to have a P/E ratio, it must at least be operating profitably and therefore have earnings to report. A high P/E ratio, say 40, indicates that the company is currently trading at 40 times its earnings. Growth investors love buying stocks with higher P/E ratios because there are high expectations the company will see significant growth. However, those high expectations come with higher prices for the stocks and GARP investors like to find investments that have been slightly under valued by the market. Higher P/E numbers tend to indicate businesses that are actually over valued, which is why they are not sought out by GARP investors. A P/E ratio in the 10-20 range is more reasonable for a GARP investor as it is less expensive and, less risky than a stock with a P/E ratio of 25 or above. Pursuing stocks with lower P/E ratios is also a tactic of value investors.
GARP and growth investors also tend to prefer businesses with a lower price to book (P/B) ratio. The P/B ratio is used to gauge how much value the market actually places on the book value of the business in question. It is found by dividing the current share price by the book value per share. Or:
P/B Ratio = Current Share Price / Book Value per Share
Where
Book Value per Share = Book Value (Assets - Liabilities) / Outstanding Shares
source: http://www.investorguide.com/igu-article-976-stock-strategies-understanding-garp-stock-investing-strategy.html