Published 6 April 2026 · 9 min read · Finmagine Research Team
📚 Valuation — Learning Hub
Learn to read whether an NSE stock is fairly priced, cheap, or expensive — using seven distinct lenses
After reading this guide you will be able to:
Read the Valuation Zone bar and know what "Very Attractive" vs "Very Expensive" means in price terms
Understand why EV/EBITDA is "PRIMARY" for energy stocks while PE is "IMPORTANT"
Interpret "Below Median / Near Median / Above Median" status tags and use them correctly
Compare the stock's PE and P/B against Nifty 50 index levels
Use the PEG Ratio to decide if the PE is justified by growth
Decode the Reversed DCF — what growth is already baked into the price
Run the Scenario Valuation and customise Bear/Base/Bull assumptions
Q: How is the Valuation Zone calculated?
Fair Value = EPS × 5Y Median P/E. The five zones are: Fair = ±10% of fair value, Attractive / Expensive = ±10–30% from fair value, Very Attractive / Very Expensive = beyond ±30%. A stock in the "Very Attractive" zone is trading more than 30% below its historically-justified fair value price.
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Q: What does "PRIMARY" mean on a multiple card?
PRIMARY is the most sector-relevant valuation multiple for this company. For energy stocks, EV/EBITDA is PRIMARY because energy companies carry significant debt (capex-heavy) and EV/EBITDA normalises for different capital structures better than PE. For asset-light businesses, PE is typically KEY METRIC / IMPORTANT.
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Q: What does "Below Median" status mean?
Below Median means the current multiple is below its own 5-year historical median — the stock is cheaper than it has historically been on that metric. This is generally a positive valuation signal. "Near Median" means it is within a small band around the median. "Above Median" means it is more expensive than usual.
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Q: Can a stock be "Below Median" PE but "Fairly Valued" overall?
Yes. If PE is far below median but the sector-PRIMARY multiple (e.g. EV/EBITDA) is near or above its median, the overall verdict reflects the primary multiple more heavily. Sector-specific logic determines which multiple drives the headline verdict — the Detailed Comparison table shows you how each multiple contributes.
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Q: What is the PEG Ratio and how do you read it?
PEG = PE ÷ Earnings Growth Rate (5Y Profit CAGR %). Below 1.0 = potentially undervalued (growth more than justifies the PE). 1.0–1.5 = fairly valued to slightly expensive. Above 1.5 = "Getting Expensive" — the PE is high relative to the growth rate. Above 2.0 = expensive on a growth-adjusted basis. PEG is most useful for growth stocks; less reliable for cyclicals.
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Q: What does the Reversed DCF tell you?
The Reversed DCF asks: "What PAT growth rate must this company achieve over the next 5 years to justify today's price?" — given a 12% discount rate and the exit PE. If the implied growth (e.g. 6.1%) is well below the actual 5Y historical growth (e.g. 15.3%), the price is pricing in pessimism — it may be cheap. If implied growth exceeds historical, the price is pricing in optimism.
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Q: What is the Exit PE in Scenario Valuation?
The Exit PE is the assumed P/E multiple the market will apply to the company's earnings at the end of the horizon (3 years). It defaults to the 5Y historical median PE. In the Bull scenario it is slightly above median (premium for growth), in Bear it is below median (discount for risk). You can customise all three in Edit mode.
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Q: What is the OPM tab in Scenario Valuation?
OPM (Operating Profit Margin) mode builds the scenario from margin assumptions instead of PAT growth directly. You input Revenue growth and OPM % for each scenario. Finmagine computes projected PAT from those margin inputs and derives the target price. Useful when you have a view on margin expansion/compression rather than a bottom-line growth view.
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What Is the Valuation Sub-Tab?
The Valuation sub-tab is the most comprehensive valuation analysis pane on Finmagine. It brings together seven distinct valuation lenses in a single view: a zone-based price range, four historical multiple cards, a Nifty 50 benchmark comparison, a PEG ratio, a Reversed DCF, and an interactive Scenario Valuation model.
Unlike the Quick Analysis score or the Price & Growth CAGR comparison, the Valuation sub-tab is built entirely around the question: given what this business earns, is the current price fair? It does not ask whether the business is good — that is the Scorecard's job. It asks whether the price you would pay today is justified.
The key design principle: No single multiple tells the full valuation story. A stock with a low PE but a stretched EV/EBITDA may look cheap on one metric and expensive on another. Finmagine's Valuation pane shows all four standard multiples simultaneously, flags which one is most relevant for this company's sector (PRIMARY tag), and provides two cross-checks — the Nifty 50 benchmark and the Reversed DCF — to validate or challenge the multiple-based verdict.
1. Valuation Zone
The Valuation Zone is a colour-coded price range bar that shows where the current stock price sits relative to its historically-justified fair value. It is the fastest way to answer: is this stock cheap or expensive vs. its own history?
Valuation Zone — current price ₹1,305 sits well inside the Very Attractive zone. Fair value = ₹2,510 (EPS × 5Y median PE of 45.4x). The marker position shows the stock trades 48% below fair value.
How the Zones Are Defined
Fair Value is calculated as: Current EPS × 5-Year Median PE. From that fair value, five zones are constructed:
Very Attractive — below 70% of fair value (>30% discount)Attractive — 70–90% of fair value (10–30% discount)Fair — 90–110% of fair value (±10%)Expensive — 110–130% of fair value (10–30% premium)Very Expensive — above 130% of fair value (>30% premium)
The caption below the bar shows the methodology: "Based on 5Y median P/E (45.4x). Fair value = EPS × Median P/E = ₹2,510. Zones: ±10% = Fair, ±10–30% = Attractive/Expensive, beyond 30% = Very zone."
Very Attractive does not automatically mean buy. A stock can sit in the Very Attractive zone because:
The market is pessimistic about near-term earnings — which may or may not be justified.
The business has genuinely deteriorated — making the historical median PE no longer applicable.
The stock has a structural derating — sector or regulatory headwinds have permanently reduced the appropriate PE band.
Always cross-check with Quick Analysis health score and Financials tab trend direction before acting on the zone position.
PE-based zones are unreliable for banking and NBFC stocks. Banks are valued on Price/Book and ROE frameworks, not PE. Finmagine will use EV/EBITDA or P/B as the primary multiple for such sectors — the Zone bar still uses PE for display simplicity, but the verdict card and Detailed Comparison weight the sector-appropriate multiple more heavily.
2. The Overall Verdict Card
Just below the Zone bar, a verdict card summarises the multi-multiple assessment in a single label:
Overall verdict — "Fairly Valued" badge with 4 of 4 multiples rated and 1 below median. The sector note ("For energy, EV/EBITDA is primary") tells you which multiple drives the verdict.
The card contains three pieces of information:
Verdict badge — e.g. Fairly Valued, Attractive, Very Attractive, Expensive, Very Expensive. The badge colour mirrors the Zone chip colours.
Coverage count — "4 of 4 multiples rated · 1 Below Median". This tells you how many of the four standard multiples had enough data to be computed (PE requires positive earnings), and how many are currently trading below their 5Y historical median.
Sector note — if a sector-specific primary multiple applies, it is called out here: e.g. "For energy, EV/EBITDA is primary." This tells you which multiple the verdict badge is most weighted toward.
3. Individual Multiple Cards
Below the verdict, four multiple cards appear — one for each valuation metric. Each card shows the same layout: name, relevance tags, Current value, % vs Median, and Median value.
PE Ratio
PE Ratio card — Current 23.6x vs 5Y Median 45.4x, -48% below median, tagged "Key Metric" and "Below Median". The progress bar shows position relative to historical range.
EV/EBITDA
EV/EBITDA — Current 25.3x is essentially at the 5Y median (−0.8%). Tagged PRIMARY for this sector, Near Median. This multiple drives the "Fairly Valued" overall verdict.
Price/Book and Mkt Cap/Sales
P/B — Near Median, SupplementaryMCap/Sales — Near Median, Not Key Metric
Relevance Tags — What They Mean
Each multiple card has one or two tags on the top right that tell you how important this multiple is for this specific company's sector:
Tag
Meaning
When You See It
PRIMARY
Most sector-relevant multiple — drives the verdict badge most heavily
EV/EBITDA for energy/utilities/infra; P/B for banks/NBFCs; PE for most other sectors
IMPORTANT
Significant but secondary to the PRIMARY multiple
PE when EV/EBITDA is primary; P/B for profitable non-banks
SUPPLEMENTARY
Useful as a cross-check but not a primary driver
P/B and MCap/Sales for most non-banking sectors
Not Key Metric
Least relevant for this sector — shown for completeness only
MCap/Sales for sectors where margins are the key driver (not revenue scale)
Why PE can be "Below Median" but the verdict is still "Fairly Valued": In the example above, PE is 48% below its median — which looks very cheap on that metric alone. But EV/EBITDA (the PRIMARY multiple for this sector) is at -0.8% vs median — essentially at its historical level. The overall verdict of "Fairly Valued" reflects the PRIMARY multiple, not the PE. This prevents misleading cheap-PE signals for capital-intensive companies with significant debt.
4. Detailed Comparison Table
The Detailed Comparison table shows all four multiples in a single row format with their Current, Median, VS Median (%), Status, and Relevance columns side by side — the most readable format for quickly comparing all multiples simultaneously.
Detailed Comparison — PE is the only outlier (Below Median, -48%). All other multiples are Near Median. The Relevance column shows which multiple matters most for this sector.
The Status column uses three labels:
Below Median — current multiple is below 5Y historical median. Generally a positive valuation signal.
Near Median — within a small band around the 5Y median. Fairly valued on this metric.
Above Median — current multiple is above 5Y historical median. The market is applying a premium relative to history.
5. Nifty 50 Benchmark
The Nifty 50 Benchmark section adds a market-relative dimension to the analysis. Rather than comparing the stock only against its own history, it compares PE and P/B against the Nifty 50 index's current levels and long-run median.
Nifty 50 Benchmark — company PE (23.6) is +7% above Nifty 50 (22.0), but P/B (3.2) is -16% below Nifty 50 (3.8). The narrative note synthesises the cross-reference.
Each panel shows:
Company — the current multiple for this specific stock
NIFTY 50 — the current Nifty 50 index PE or P/B
NIFTY Median — the long-run (5-year) median for the Nifty 50 on that multiple
vs NIFTY — the percentage difference between the company multiple and the current Nifty 50 level, with a descriptive label
How to use this: A stock with PE above the Nifty 50 is pricing in above-market expectations. Whether that premium is justified depends on whether the company's ROE and growth profile truly exceed the market average. A stock below the Nifty 50 PE may be undervalued — or may reflect a sector that structurally deserves a market discount (e.g. cyclical commodities vs. structural growth businesses).
The narrative text below the two panels synthesises the comparison: "Trading below both historical median and broader market valuations — may indicate value." Read this as a starting observation, not a recommendation.
6. PEG Ratio
The PEG (Price/Earnings to Growth) ratio adds a growth dimension to the PE. A high PE can be justified if the company is growing fast; a low PE may still be expensive if growth is minimal. PEG normalises for this.
PEG Ratio = PE (23.6) ÷ 5Y Profit CAGR (15%) = 1.54. Badge: "Getting Expensive" — the PE is not fully justified by the growth rate.
Formula: PEG = Current PE ÷ 5Y Profit CAGR (%)
PEG Range
Label
Interpretation
Below 0.5
Very Attractive
Growth significantly outpaces the PE — potentially deeply undervalued on a growth-adjusted basis
0.5 – 1.0
Attractive
Growth justifies (and exceeds) the PE premium — good value for a growth investor
1.0 – 1.5
Fairly Valued
PE is broadly in line with growth — a fair price for the growth delivered
1.5 – 2.0
Getting Expensive
PE is running ahead of the growth rate — needs growth acceleration to sustain the multiple
Above 2.0
Expensive
PE significantly overstates the growth justification — high risk of multiple compression
PEG has limitations. It is most useful for consistently growing companies. For cyclicals, financials, or businesses with lumpy earnings, the 5Y Profit CAGR base year may distort the PEG. A company recovering from a low base will show a high CAGR and a deceptively low PEG. Always verify the quality and sustainability of the growth behind the CAGR in the Financials tab before trusting the PEG signal.
7. Reversed DCF
The Reversed DCF flips the standard DCF model. Instead of computing a target price from an assumed growth rate, it answers: "What growth rate is the current market price already pricing in?"
Reversed DCF — at ₹1,305, the market is pricing in only 6.1% annual PAT growth over 5 years (12% discount rate, exit PE 23.6x). The actual 5Y historical growth was 15.3% — well above what the price implies.
The statement reads: "At ₹1,305, market pricing in 6.1% annual PAT growth over 5 yrs (12% discount, exit PE 23.6x) · 5Y actual: 15.3% (below history)"
Three inputs drive the Reversed DCF:
Current price — what the market is paying today
Discount rate — 12% (approximate cost of equity for Indian markets)
Exit PE — the assumed PE at the end of the 5-year period (uses current PE)
How to interpret it: If the implied growth (6.1%) is well below the actual historical growth (15.3%), the price is pessimistic — the market is discounting future growth heavily. This can be an opportunity if you believe the company can sustain its historical growth. If implied growth equals or exceeds historical growth, the price is already pricing in continued outperformance — little margin of safety.
8. Scenario Valuation
The Scenario Valuation is a forward-looking model that shows 3-year target prices across three scenarios — Bull, Base, and Bear. It is the most interactive section in the entire Valuation sub-tab.
Scenario Valuation (EARNINGS mode) — Base PE 45.0x = 5Y historical median. Bull assumes 23% PAT growth + premium PE exit; Bear assumes 7% growth + discounted PE exit.
Default Scenarios
🐂 Bull
₹5,672
23% PAT growth · Exit PE 51.7x · +63.2% CAGR
⚖️ Base
₹4,037
15% PAT growth · Exit PE 45.0x · +45.7% CAGR
🐻 Bear
₹2,769
7% PAT growth · Exit PE 38.3x · +28.5% CAGR
All three scenarios default to the 5Y historical median PE as the base (45.0x). Bull adds a PE premium (51.7x = +15%); Bear applies a discount (38.3x = −15%). PAT growth assumptions are seeded from the historical 5Y CAGR — the Base matches history, Bull is above, Bear is below.
EARNINGS vs OPM Mode
The header shows two toggles — EARNINGS and OPM:
EARNINGS mode — you input PAT Growth % and Exit PE directly for each scenario. Best when you have a view on bottom-line earnings growth.
OPM mode — you input Revenue Growth and Operating Profit Margin % for each scenario. Finmagine computes projected PAT from those inputs. Best when you have a margin expansion or compression thesis.
Edit Mode
Edit mode — Horizon (years), Bull/Base/Bear PAT Growth % and Exit PE are all editable. Results update instantly as you type. Click "Done" to return to the clean table view.
Click the Edit button to open the editable inputs:
Horizon — the number of years for the scenario (default 3, adjustable)
Bull / Base / Bear PAT Growth % — your assumed annual PAT growth for each scenario
Bull / Base / Bear Exit PE — the P/E multiple you assume the market will apply at the end of the horizon
Results update instantly. Click Done to lock the inputs and return to the clean table view.
Practical use: Start with the default seeded values (historical CAGR, historical median PE). Then stress-test your Bear case — if you believe margins will compress or growth will slow, lower the Bear PAT Growth to 0–3% and reduce the Exit PE by 20–30%. The Bear target price tells you the downside scenario. Compare it against your purchase price to assess the risk/reward.
Illustrative model — not investment advice. Scenario Valuation results are mechanical projections based on inputs you provide. They do not account for macro events, sector disruptions, management changes, or regulatory risk. Always treat the target prices as illustrative reference points, not predictions.
How to Use the Valuation Sub-Tab
Step 1Read the Valuation Zone first. Very Attractive or Attractive = below its historical fair value. Very Expensive = stretched. But check the sector note — if EV/EBITDA is primary, the PE-based zone may not be the right lead metric.
Step 2Check the overall verdict badge and coverage. If only 2 of 4 multiples are rated (e.g. PE missing due to losses), the verdict is less reliable. "1 Below Median" vs. "3 Below Median" out of 4 tells a different story.
Step 3Focus on the PRIMARY multiple. Ignore the "Not Key Metric" multiple for your core verdict. Look at the PRIMARY and IMPORTANT multiples — if both are near or below median, valuation looks reasonable; if both are above median, the stock is expensive.
Step 4Cross-check with Nifty 50. A stock that is Below Median on its own history AND below the Nifty 50 multiple is doubly cheap by historical standards. A stock above its own median AND above Nifty 50 is doubly expensive.
Step 5Run the Reversed DCF sanity check. If implied growth << actual historical growth, the price is pricing in pessimism — margin of safety exists. If implied growth > historical, the market is already pricing in acceleration — little margin of safety.
Step 6Use Scenario Valuation for risk/reward framing. The Bear case gives you the downside. The Base case gives you the expected return if the business performs as it has historically. The Bull case gives you the upside. If the Bear case still shows a positive 3-year CAGR and the base case is compelling, the risk/reward looks attractive.
What You See
What It Means
Next Step
PRIMARY multiple Below Median
Core valuation metric cheaper than usual for this company
Check Reversed DCF — is the market pricing in lower-than-historical growth?
PE very low but EV/EBITDA Near Median
Apparent cheapness on PE not confirmed by enterprise value metric — likely high debt
Check D/E ratio in Ratios tab and debt structure in Financials
PEG above 2.0
Growth does not justify the PE — multiple compression risk
Check if recent 1Y CAGR is accelerating (could justify higher PEG) in Quick Analysis
Implied growth > actual historical growth in Reversed DCF
Market is pricing in acceleration beyond what the company has delivered
High-risk entry — only appropriate with a specific catalyst thesis
Bear scenario CAGR still positive
Even in the worst-case modelled scenario, 3-year return is positive
Attractive risk/reward — validate fundamentals with Quick Analysis score
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