IDT Australia Limited's (ASX:IDT) 25% Dip Still Leaving Some Shareholders Feeling Restless Over Its P/E Ratio

Unfortunately for some shareholders, the IDT Australia Limited (ASX:IDT) share price has dived 25% in the last thirty days, prolonging recent pain. The last month has meant the stock is now only up 2.7% during the last year.

Although its price has dipped substantially, IDT Australia's price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 20.9x might still make it look like a sell right now compared to the market in Australia, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios below 18x and even P/E's below 9x are quite common. However, the P/E might be high for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

IDT Australia certainly has been doing a great job lately as it's been growing earnings at a really rapid pace. It seems that many are expecting the strong earnings performance to beat most other companies over the coming period, which has increased investors’ willingness to pay up for the stock. If not, then existing shareholders might be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

Check out our latest analysis for IDT Australia

Want the full picture on earnings, revenue and cash flow for the company? Then our free report on IDT Australia will help you shine a light on its historical performance.

Is There Enough Growth For IDT Australia?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should outperform the market for P/E ratios like IDT Australia's to be considered reasonable.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 426% gain to the company's bottom line. Still, EPS has barely risen at all from three years ago in total, which is not ideal. Accordingly, shareholders probably wouldn't have been overly satisfied with the unstable medium-term growth rates.

Weighing that recent medium-term earnings trajectory against the broader market's one-year forecast for expansion of 22% shows it's noticeably less attractive on an annualised basis.

In light of this, it's alarming that IDT Australia's P/E sits above the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are ignoring the fairly limited recent growth rates and are hoping for a turnaround in the company's business prospects. There's a good chance existing shareholders are setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/E falls to levels more in line with recent growth rates.

The Final Word

IDT Australia's P/E hasn't come down all the way after its stock plunged. While the price-to-earnings ratio shouldn't be the defining factor in whether you buy a stock or not, it's quite a capable barometer of earnings expectations.

Our examination of IDT Australia revealed its three-year earnings trends aren't impacting its high P/E anywhere near as much as we would have predicted, given they look worse than current market expectations. Right now we are increasingly uncomfortable with the high P/E as this earnings performance isn't likely to support such positive sentiment for long. If recent medium-term earnings trends continue, it will place shareholders' investments at significant risk and potential investors in danger of paying an excessive premium.

There are also other vital risk factors to consider before investing and we've discovered 2 warning signs for IDT Australia that you should be aware of.

It's important to make sure you look for a great company, not just the first idea you come across. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a P/E ratio below 20x).

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.