When close to half the companies in the United States have price-to-earnings ratios (or “P/E’s”) below 18x, you may consider Perficient, Inc. (NASDAQ:PRFT) as a stock to avoid entirely with its 35.3x P/E ratio. Although, it’s not wise to just take the P/E at face value as there may be an explanation why it’s so lofty.
With its earnings growth in positive territory compared to the declining earnings of most other companies, Perficient has been doing quite well of late. It seems that many are expecting the company to continue defying the broader market adversity, which has increased investors’ willingness to pay up for the stock. You’d really hope so, otherwise you’re paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.
Check out our latest analysis for Perficient
Does Growth Match The High P/E?
In order to justify its P/E ratio, Perficient would need to produce outstanding growth well in excess of the market.
If we review the last year of earnings growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 27%. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 176% overall rise in EPS, aided by its short-term performance. Accordingly, shareholders would have probably welcomed those medium-term rates of earnings growth.
Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 19% per year as estimated by the seven analysts watching the company. Meanwhile, the rest of the market is forecast to only expand by 13% per annum, which is noticeably less attractive.
With this information, we can see why Perficient is trading at such a high P/E compared to the market. Apparently shareholders aren’t keen to offload something that is potentially eyeing a more prosperous future.
What We Can Learn From Perficient’s P/E?
It’s argued the price-to-earnings ratio is an inferior measure of value within certain industries, but it can be a powerful business sentiment indicator.
As we suspected, our examination of Perficient’s analyst forecasts revealed that its superior earnings outlook is contributing to its high P/E. Right now shareholders are comfortable with the P/E as they are quite confident future earnings aren’t under threat. It’s hard to see the share price falling strongly in the near future under these circumstances.
Many other vital risk factors can be found on the company’s balance sheet. Our free balance sheet analysis for Perficient with six simple checks will allow you to discover any risks that could be an issue.
Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates. So take a peek at this free list of companies with a strong growth track record, trading on a P/E below 20x.
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