Manitou BF SA's (EPA:MTU) Shares Not Telling The Full Story

With a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 10.2x Manitou BF SA (EPA:MTU) may be sending bullish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all companies in France have P/E ratios greater than 15x and even P/E's higher than 28x are not unusual. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the reduced P/E.

Manitou BF certainly has been doing a good job lately as it's been growing earnings more than most other companies. It might be that many expect the strong earnings performance to degrade substantially, which has repressed the P/E. If you like the company, you'd be hoping this isn't the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's out of favour.

Check out our latest analysis for Manitou BF

Keen to find out how analysts think Manitou BF's future stacks up against the industry? In that case, our free report is a great place to start.

How Is Manitou BF's Growth Trending?

Manitou BF's P/E ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver limited growth, and importantly, perform worse than the market.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 69% gain to the company's bottom line. Pleasingly, EPS has also lifted 79% in aggregate from three years ago, thanks to the last 12 months of growth. So we can start by confirming that the company has done a great job of growing earnings over that time.

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 17% each year as estimated by the six analysts watching the company. Meanwhile, the rest of the market is forecast to only expand by 11% per annum, which is noticeably less attractive.

In light of this, it's peculiar that Manitou BF's P/E sits below the majority of other companies. Apparently some shareholders are doubtful of the forecasts and have been accepting significantly lower selling prices.

The Key Takeaway

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 Manitou BF's analyst forecasts revealed that its superior earnings outlook isn't contributing to its P/E anywhere near as much as we would have predicted. When we see a strong earnings outlook with faster-than-market growth, we assume potential risks are what might be placing significant pressure on the P/E ratio. At least price risks look to be very low, but investors seem to think future earnings could see a lot of volatility.

Plus, you should also learn about these 3 warning signs we've spotted with Manitou BF (including 2 which are potentially serious).

Of course, you might also be able to find a better stock than Manitou BF. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have reasonable P/E ratios and have grown earnings strongly.

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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.