Earnings Not Telling The Story For Christian Dior SE (EPA:CDI)

With a median price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of close to 15x in France, you could be forgiven for feeling indifferent about Christian Dior SE's (EPA:CDI) P/E ratio of 15.5x. 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.

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As an illustration, earnings have deteriorated at Christian Dior over the last year, which is not ideal at all. 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 you like the company, you'd at least be hoping this is the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's not quite in favour.

Check out our latest analysis for Christian Dior

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

Does Growth Match The P/E?

The only time you'd be comfortable seeing a P/E like Christian Dior's is when the company's growth is tracking the market closely.

Taking a look back first, the company's earnings per share growth last year wasn't something to get excited about as it posted a disappointing decline of 17%. That put a dampener on the good run it was having over the longer-term as its three-year EPS growth is still a noteworthy 5.3% in total. Although it's been a bumpy ride, it's still fair to say the earnings growth recently has been mostly respectable for the company.

Weighing that recent medium-term earnings trajectory against the broader market's one-year forecast for expansion of 16% shows it's noticeably less attractive on an annualised basis.

In light of this, it's curious that Christian Dior's P/E sits in line with the majority of other companies. Apparently many investors in the company are less bearish than recent times would indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock right now. Maintaining these prices will be difficult to achieve as a continuation of recent earnings trends is likely to weigh down the shares eventually.

What We Can Learn From Christian Dior's P/E?

Using the price-to-earnings ratio alone to determine if you should sell your stock isn't sensible, however it can be a practical guide to the company's future prospects.

We've established that Christian Dior currently trades on a higher than expected P/E since its recent three-year growth is lower than the wider market forecast. When we see weak earnings with slower than market growth, we suspect the share price is at risk of declining, sending the moderate P/E lower. If recent medium-term earnings trends continue, it will place shareholders' investments at risk and potential investors in danger of paying an unnecessary premium.

Before you take the next step, you should know about the 1 warning sign for Christian Dior that we have uncovered.

You might be able to find a better investment than Christian Dior. If you want a selection of possible candidates, check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a low P/E (but have proven they can grow earnings).

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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.