Sentiment Still Eluding ITV plc (LON:ITV)

With a median price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of close to 16x in the United Kingdom, you could be forgiven for feeling indifferent about ITV plc's (LON:ITV) P/E ratio of 15.1x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/E.

ITV could be doing better as its earnings have been going backwards lately while most other companies have been seeing positive earnings growth. One possibility is that the P/E is moderate because investors think this poor earnings performance will turn around. If not, then existing shareholders may be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

View our latest analysis for ITV

Want the full picture on analyst estimates for the company? Then our free report on ITV will help you uncover what's on the horizon.

What Are Growth Metrics Telling Us About The P/E?

ITV's P/E ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver moderate growth, and importantly, perform in line with the market.

If we review the last year of earnings, dishearteningly the company's profits fell to the tune of 51%. The last three years don't look nice either as the company has shrunk EPS by 26% in aggregate. 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 seven analysts watching the company. That's shaping up to be materially higher than the 14% per year growth forecast for the broader market.

With this information, we find it interesting that ITV is trading at a fairly similar P/E to the market. It may be that most investors aren't convinced the company can achieve future growth expectations.

The Key Takeaway

It's argued the price-to-earnings ratio is an inferior measure of value within certain industries, but it can be a powerful business sentiment indicator.

We've established that ITV currently trades on a lower than expected P/E since its forecast growth is higher than the wider market. There could be some unobserved threats to earnings preventing the P/E ratio from matching the positive outlook. It appears some are indeed anticipating earnings instability, because these conditions should normally provide a boost to the share price.

We don't want to rain on the parade too much, but we did also find 3 warning signs for ITV that you need to be mindful of.

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

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.

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