Pinning Down Colliers International Group Inc.'s (TSE:CIGI) P/E Is Difficult Right Now

Colliers International Group Inc.'s (TSE:CIGI) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 71.3x might make it look like a strong sell right now compared to the market in Canada, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios below 16x and even P/E's below 9x are quite common. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the highly elevated P/E.

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While the market has experienced earnings growth lately, Colliers International Group's earnings have gone into reverse gear, which is not great. It might be that many expect the dour earnings performance to recover substantially, which has kept the P/E from collapsing. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.

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Does Growth Match The High P/E?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, Colliers International Group would need to produce outstanding growth well in excess of the market.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 24% 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 33% in total over the last three years. Accordingly, while they would have preferred to keep the run going, shareholders would probably welcome the medium-term rates of earnings growth.

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 10% per year as estimated by the twelve analysts watching the company. That's shaping up to be similar to the 11% each year growth forecast for the broader market.

In light of this, it's curious that Colliers International Group's P/E sits above the majority of other companies. Apparently many investors in the company are more bullish than analysts indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock right now. These shareholders may be setting themselves up for disappointment if the P/E falls to levels more in line with the growth outlook.

The Final Word

Generally, our preference is to limit the use of the price-to-earnings ratio to establishing what the market thinks about the overall health of a company.

We've established that Colliers International Group currently trades on a higher than expected P/E since its forecast growth is only in line with the wider market. When we see an average earnings outlook with market-like growth, we suspect the share price is at risk of declining, sending the high P/E lower. Unless these conditions improve, it's challenging to accept these prices as being reasonable.

You should always think about risks. Case in point, we've spotted 3 warning signs for Colliers International Group you should be aware of, and 1 of them is potentially serious.

If these risks are making you reconsider your opinion on Colliers International Group, explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there.

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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.