Yahoo Finance Luceco plc's (LON:LUCE) Price Is Out Of Tune With Earnings
Luceco plc's (LON:LUCE) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 20.5x might make it look like a sell right now compared to the market in the United Kingdom, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios below 17x and even P/E's below 10x are quite common. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/E at face value as there may be an explanation why it's lofty.
Recent times have been pleasing for Luceco as its earnings have risen in spite of the market's earnings going into reverse. The P/E is probably high because investors think the company will continue to navigate the broader market headwinds better than most. If not, then existing shareholders might be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.
View our latest analysis for Luceco
If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report on Luceco.
Does Growth Match The High P/E?
Luceco's P/E ratio would be typical for a company that's expected to deliver solid growth, and importantly, perform better than the market.
Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 61% gain to the company's bottom line. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 72% overall rise in EPS, aided by its short-term performance. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been superb for the company.
Shifting to the future, estimates from the three analysts covering the company suggest earnings should grow by 8.3% per year over the next three years. With the market predicted to deliver 15% growth per annum, the company is positioned for a weaker earnings result.
In light of this, it's alarming that Luceco's P/E sits above the majority of other companies. Apparently many investors in the company are way more bullish than analysts indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock at any price. There's a good chance these shareholders are setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/E falls to levels more in line with the growth outlook.
The Key Takeaway
Typically, we'd caution against reading too much into price-to-earnings ratios when settling on investment decisions, though it can reveal plenty about what other market participants think about the company.
Our examination of Luceco's analyst forecasts revealed that its inferior earnings outlook isn't impacting its high P/E anywhere near as much as we would have predicted. Right now we are increasingly uncomfortable with the high P/E as the predicted future earnings aren't likely to support such positive sentiment for long. This places shareholders' investments at significant risk and potential investors in danger of paying an excessive premium.
We don't want to rain on the parade too much, but we did also find 1 warning sign for Luceco that you need to be mindful of.
You might be able to find a better investment than Luceco. If you want a selection of possible candidates, check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a P/E below 20x (but have proven they can grow earnings).
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com.
