Tapestry, Inc. (NYSE:TPR) Doing What It Can To Lift Shares

Tapestry, Inc.'s (NYSE:TPR) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 11.3x might make it look like a buy right now compared to the market in the United States, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios above 18x and even P/E's above 32x are quite common. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/E at face value as there may be an explanation why it's limited.

Tapestry certainly has been doing a good job lately as its earnings growth has been positive while most other companies have been seeing their earnings go backwards. It might be that many expect the strong earnings performance to degrade substantially, possibly more than the market, which has repressed the P/E. If not, then existing shareholders have reason to be quite optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

View our latest analysis for Tapestry

If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report on Tapestry.

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

In order to justify its P/E ratio, Tapestry would need to produce sluggish growth that's trailing the market.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a decent 2.9% gain to the company's bottom line. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 212% overall rise in EPS, aided somewhat by its short-term performance. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been superb for the company.

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 11% per year as estimated by the analysts watching the company. Meanwhile, the rest of the market is forecast to expand by 9.9% each year, which is not materially different.

With this information, we find it odd that Tapestry is trading at a P/E lower than the market. It may be that most investors are not convinced the company can achieve future growth expectations.

The Final Word

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.

Our examination of Tapestry's analyst forecasts revealed that its market-matching earnings outlook isn't contributing to its P/E as much as we would have predicted. When we see an average earnings outlook with market-like growth, we assume potential risks are what might be placing pressure on the P/E ratio. It appears some are indeed anticipating earnings instability, because these conditions should normally provide more support to the share price.

Plus, you should also learn about this 1 warning sign we've spotted with Tapestry.

Of course, you might also be able to find a better stock than Tapestry. 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.