What You Can Learn From Grupo Bimbo, S.A.B. de C.V.'s (BMV:BIMBOA) P/E

When close to half the companies in Mexico have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") below 13x, you may consider Grupo Bimbo, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV:BIMBOA) as a stock to potentially avoid with its 19.6x P/E ratio. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the elevated P/E.

Grupo Bimbo. de 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 high because investors think this poor earnings performance will turn the corner. If not, then existing shareholders may be extremely nervous about the viability of the share price.

Check out our latest analysis for Grupo Bimbo. de

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

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

In order to justify its P/E ratio, Grupo Bimbo. de would need to produce impressive growth in excess of the market.

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 49%. Still, the latest three year period has seen an excellent 100% overall rise in EPS, in spite of its unsatisfying short-term performance. So we can start by confirming that the company has generally done a very good job of growing earnings over that time, even though it had some hiccups along the way.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the nine analysts covering the company suggest earnings should grow by 16% per annum over the next three years. With the market only predicted to deliver 11% per annum, the company is positioned for a stronger earnings result.

With this information, we can see why Grupo Bimbo. de is trading at such a high P/E compared to the market. Apparently shareholders aren't keen to offload something that is potentially eyeing a more prosperous future.

The Final Word

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.

We've established that Grupo Bimbo. de maintains its high P/E on the strength of its forecast growth being higher than the wider market, as expected. At this stage investors feel the potential for a deterioration in earnings isn't great enough to justify a lower P/E ratio. It's hard to see the share price falling strongly in the near future under these circumstances.

Don't forget that there may be other risks. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Grupo Bimbo. de that you should be aware of.

You might be able to find a better investment than Grupo Bimbo. de. 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.