Positive Sentiment Still Eludes Zoono Group Limited (ASX:ZNO) Following 27% Share Price Slump

To the annoyance of some shareholders, Zoono Group Limited (ASX:ZNO) shares are down a considerable 27% in the last month, which continues a horrid run for the company. For any long-term shareholders, the last month ends a year to forget by locking in a 75% share price decline.

In spite of the heavy fall in price, you could still be forgiven for feeling indifferent about Zoono Group's P/E ratio of 16.9x, since the median price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio in Australia is also close to 18x. Although, it's not wise to simply ignore the P/E without explanation as investors may be disregarding a distinct opportunity or a costly mistake.

For example, consider that Zoono Group's financial performance has been poor lately as it's earnings have been in decline. It might be that many expect the company to put the disappointing earnings performance behind them over the coming period, which has kept the P/E from falling. If not, then existing shareholders may be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

Check out our latest analysis for Zoono Group

Although there are no analyst estimates available for Zoono Group, take a look at this free data-rich visualisation to see how the company stacks up on earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Does Growth Match The P/E?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, Zoono Group would need to produce growth that's similar to the market.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 72% decrease to the company's bottom line. However, a few very strong years before that means that it was still able to grow EPS by an impressive 5,825% in total over the last three years. So we can start by confirming that the company has generally done a very good job of growing earnings over that time, even though it had some hiccups along the way.

Weighing that recent medium-term earnings trajectory against the broader market's one-year forecast for expansion of 17% shows it's noticeably more attractive on an annualised basis.

In light of this, it's curious that Zoono Group's P/E sits in line with the majority of other companies. It may be that most investors are not convinced the company can maintain its recent growth rates.

The Bottom Line On Zoono Group's P/E

With its share price falling into a hole, the P/E for Zoono Group looks quite average now. 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.

We've established that Zoono Group currently trades on a lower than expected P/E since its recent three-year growth is higher than the wider market forecast. There could be some unobserved threats to earnings preventing the P/E ratio from matching this positive performance. It appears some are indeed anticipating earnings instability, because the persistence of these recent medium-term conditions would normally provide a boost to the share price.

You should always think about risks. Case in point, we've spotted 6 warning signs for Zoono Group you should be aware of, and 1 of them can't be ignored.

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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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. 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.
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