Stock Analysis

WillScot Mobile Mini Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ:WSC) Not Flying Under The Radar

NasdaqCM:WSC
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With a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 21.5x WillScot Mobile Mini Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ:WSC) may be sending bearish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all companies in the United States have P/E ratios under 16x and even P/E's lower than 9x are not unusual. 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.

With its earnings growth in positive territory compared to the declining earnings of most other companies, WillScot Mobile Mini Holdings has been doing quite well of late. It seems that many are expecting the company to continue defying the broader market adversity, which has increased investors’ willingness to pay up for the stock. If not, then existing shareholders might be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

See our latest analysis for WillScot Mobile Mini Holdings

pe-multiple-vs-industry
NasdaqCM:WSC Price to Earnings Ratio vs Industry July 11th 2024
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Is There Enough Growth For WillScot Mobile Mini Holdings?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, WillScot Mobile Mini Holdings would need to produce impressive growth in excess of the market.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a decent 12% gain to the company's bottom line. Although, the latest three year period in total hasn't been as good as it didn't manage to provide any growth at all. Therefore, it's fair to say that earnings growth has been inconsistent recently for the company.

Looking ahead now, EPS is anticipated to climb by 18% per annum during the coming three years according to the ten analysts following the company. Meanwhile, the rest of the market is forecast to only expand by 10% per annum, which is noticeably less attractive.

With this information, we can see why WillScot Mobile Mini Holdings is trading at such a high P/E compared to the market. It seems most investors are expecting this strong future growth and are willing to pay more for the stock.

What We Can Learn From WillScot Mobile Mini Holdings' P/E?

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.

We've established that WillScot Mobile Mini Holdings maintains its high P/E on the strength of its forecast growth being higher than the wider market, as expected. Right now shareholders are comfortable with the P/E as they are quite confident future earnings aren't under threat. Unless these conditions change, they will continue to provide strong support to the share price.

It's always necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with WillScot Mobile Mini Holdings, and understanding should be part of your investment process.

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

Valuation is complex, but we're here to simplify it.

Discover if WillScot Holdings might be undervalued or overvalued with our detailed analysis, featuring fair value estimates, potential risks, dividends, insider trades, and its financial condition.

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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.