Investor Optimism Abounds Cancom SE (ETR:COK) But Growth Is Lacking

When close to half the companies in Germany have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") below 19x, you may consider Cancom SE (ETR:COK) as a stock to potentially avoid with its 27.7x 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 as high as it is.

Our free stock report includes 1 warning sign investors should be aware of before investing in Cancom. Read for free now.

Cancom hasn't been tracking well recently as its declining earnings compare poorly to other companies, which have seen some growth on average. One possibility is that the P/E is high because investors think this poor earnings performance will turn the corner. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.

View our latest analysis for Cancom

If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report on Cancom.

Does Growth Match The High P/E?

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

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 3.6% decrease to the company's bottom line. This means it has also seen a slide in earnings over the longer-term as EPS is down 16% in total over the last three years. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been undesirable for the company.

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 17% per year as estimated by the nine analysts watching the company. That's shaping up to be similar to the 16% per annum growth forecast for the broader market.

With this information, we find it interesting that Cancom is trading at a high P/E compared to the market. Apparently many investors in the company are more bullish than analysts indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock right now. Although, additional gains will be difficult to achieve as this level of earnings growth is likely to weigh down the share price eventually.

The Key Takeaway

We'd say the price-to-earnings ratio's power isn't primarily as a valuation instrument but rather to gauge current investor sentiment and future expectations.

Our examination of Cancom's analyst forecasts revealed that its market-matching earnings outlook isn't impacting its high P/E as much as we would have predicted. 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. This places shareholders' investments at risk and potential investors in danger of paying an unnecessary premium.

Having said that, be aware Cancom is showing 1 warning sign in our investment analysis, you should know about.

If P/E ratios interest you, you may wish to see this free collection of other companies with strong earnings growth and low P/E ratios.

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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.